Nurse Is Struck Off For Threatening Staff, UK

Main Category: Medical Malpractice / Litigation
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 16 Apr 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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A nurse has been struck off for inappropriately accessing a patient's records, sending abusive emails and breaking the terms of a suspension.

John Adams-Hughes, 49, who worked at the Basildon and Thurrock University NHS Trust, was struck off following a hearing in London by the Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC's) independent Conduct and Competence Committee panel.

The panel considered Hughes' case on 7th, 8th and 9th April. It heard that in September 2003, Hughes accessed the records of a patient through the Patients Admission System to find out the persons name and address.

Hughes was also found guilty of visiting the Trust's premises and approaching Trust employees on three separate occasions from November 2003 to January 2004, breaking the terms of a suspension he was given for inapropriately accessing a patient's records.

The panel also found Hughes guilty of sending a number of abusive, threatening and insulting emails between September 2004 and January 2005 to staff at the Trust.

The panel decided that Hughes' fitness to practice was impaired because he breached the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and that confidence in the NMC would be undermined if he was not struck off.

NMC spokesperson, Colin Joseph, said: "The NMC's decision is that Hughes be struck off the register.

"His behaviour is incompatible with continuing to be a registered nurse with the NMC. His actions were a serious departure from the relevant standards set out in the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and no other sanction would be sufficient."

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. The primary purpose of the NMC is protection of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses eligible to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct. Currently the number of registrants exceeds 674,000. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (The Order), sets out the NMC's role and responsibilities.

Nursing and Midwifery Council