Nurse Cautioned For Forging Signatures To Qualify As Midwife, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Medical Malpractice / Litigation
Article Date: 14 Aug 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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A nurse who had forged signatures to help her qualify as a midwife has been cautioned for five years by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).

Katie Elphick, 30, from Shoreham, was sentenced to 12 months community service by Worthing Magistrates Court in August 2007 for forging at least 11 signatures of supervising midwives while she was a student midwife, to boost her Continual Assessment Portfolio so that it showed she had competencies and experience she did not have.

The NMC ruled the action as dishonest and that it had the potential to put women and their families to risk if Elphick had succeeded in qualifying as a midwife.

A spokesperson for the NMC Lesley Conway said:

"Honesty and integrity are fundamental requirements of a registered nurse.

"While there is no doubt that the conduct was both wrong and serious, the independent panel of the Conduct and Competence Committee considered Elphick's previous good history and evidence that her offending behaviour was out of character and the product of a number of pressures. The Committee therefore concluded that a caution order for five years represented a balance between public interest and the maintenance of public confidence in the professions."

Elphick, currently employed at a nursing home, will not be prevented from practising as a nurse. Future employers will be alerted to the caution and will be informed as to why it was imposed.

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