Failure To Fully Disclose Criminal Convictions Gets Nurse Struck Off Register

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Medical Malpractice / Litigation
Article Date: 22 Oct 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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A nurse who failed to accurately complete the section of a job application pertaining to previous convictions has been struck off the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register following a professional hearing held in Belfast on October 17, 2008.

Robert Patrick Campbell, a 44 year old Registered mental health nurse from Belfast chose not to be present at the hearing that ended his nursing career. The independent panel of the NMC's Conduct and Competence Committee accepted the evidence proving that Mr Campbell had failed to fully disclose the details about previous convictions despite signing the personal declaration stating "I declare that the information on this form is true and complete".

The panel concluded that by failing to fully disclose the details of his convictions he was in breech of his NMC Code of Conduct in that he failed to act in a way that justifies the trust and confidence that the public has in the profession.

Commenting on the panel's decision, NMC spokesperson Leila Harris-Ryberg said: "The NMC Code of Conduct extends beyond direct patient care. Nurses and midwives are expected to be trustworthy and behave in a way that upholds the good reputation of the professions at all times. Mr Campbell's actions were deliberate and he has shown no insight into his failings at any point during the process. Therefore, the panel found that the only way to ensure the public continue to have confidence in the primary role of the NMC which is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public was to strike his name from the register."

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. To be eligible to work as a nurse or midwife in the UK, they must be registered with the NMC. There are currently more than 674,000 nurses and midwives on the register. The primary purpose of the NMC is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses and midwives to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct.

Nursing & Midwifery Council