Care Failures Get Nurse Struck Off Register

Main Category: Medical Malpractice / Litigation
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 09 Jun 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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A 65 year old registered nurse from London has been struck off the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register following a string of incidents in which she failed to provide proper care.

Janet Sylvia Otu-Anobah was employed at St George's Healthcare NHS Trust from October 1996 to 21 February 2006 when between 2005 and 2006 eleven charges were brought against her for misconduct.

The independent Conduct and Competence Committee panel of the NMC heard that Otu-Anobah attempted to balance a commode pan on a toilet seat, intending to place a wheelchair bound patient on the pan in order to obtain a urine sample. She also completely dressed a patient despite her wish to dress the top part of her body herself, shaved another patient's face against his wishes, implied a colleague was racist by saying 'You're one of them' and left two used and sharp instruments, used cotton wool and a used testing strip at the side of the pillow on a patient's bed.

In finding the striking off order, the panel considered that Otu-Anobah's actions caused patients unnecessary physical and mental suffering. Her conduct was unprofessional, she failed to protect patient dignity by ignoring their preferences, and she persisted in denying errors, continuing to repeat them and placing patients and colleagues at risk.

Commenting on the panel's decision, NMC spokesperson Kristy Hempel said:

"Otu-Anobah's actions demonstrate breaches to her professional Code of conduct and are a departure from the behaviour expected of someone in her caring profession. She is expected to behave in a way that upholds the reputation of her profession, treat colleagues fairly and without discrimination and promote environments that are conducive to safe and therapeutic practice. She failed in this and therefore in order to uphold public confidence in the NMC, the panel deemed a striking off order to be the most appropriate sanction."

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 practice 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