Residential Home Nurse Receives 5 Year Caution For Care Failures, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Caregivers / Homecare;  Medical Malpractice / Litigation
Article Date: 12 Jun 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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A 50 year old registered nurse from Herne Bay, Kent has received a 5 year caution order from the Nursing & Midwifery Council following a string of incidents in which he failed to ensure that a patient received the appropriate standard of care.

Takoorparsad Kanayalall Ghowry was the owner and Registered Manager of St Stephens Residential Home when between January 2004 and February 2004 three charges were brought against him for misconduct.

The independent Conduct and Competence Committee panel of the NMC heard that when Patient A, an elderly female resident, was at risk of developing, and subsequently did develop, pressure sores Ghowry -

- failed to ensure that a risk assessment was completed in respect of Patient A's deteriorating skin condition;

- failed to ensure that advice in respect of Patient A's deteriorating skin condition was obtained from visiting medical practitioners;

- failed to ensure that a pressure relief mattress was requested for Patient A;

- failed to ensure that appropriate medical assistance was requested from a District Nurse from when the pressure area became an open wound

- inappropriately allowed Carers to perform nursing duties when they cleaned and dressed Patient A's open pressure areas

In finding the 5 year caution order, the panel considered that the allegations concern the registrant's failure as the owner of the home and as a Registered Nurse in relation to the pressure area care, nutrition, weight and comfort of patient A - a frail, elderly and confused patient. This resulted in Patient A's pressure areas breaking down, in her becoming painfully emaciated and in her having been left immobile in a room with an open window.

Commenting on the panel's decision, NMC spokesperson Sarah Connolly said: "The committee noted the registrant's acknowledgement now of how wrong it was not to supervise his staff more closely and that he stated that he used his experiences of 2004 since to the benefit of clients in his care. The committee therefore determined that the public would not be at risk and the public interest would be best served if a caution order were imposed in this case"

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