Nurse Struck Off For Withholding Treatment In Nursing Home

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 22 Oct 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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A nurse has been struck off the register for deliberately withholding treatment from patients in his care at a Plymouth nursing home.

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) at its hearing in London found Michael Callaghan, 67, guilty of failing to administer laxatives, nebulisers and painkillers to patients in the Drake Nursing Home, Plymouth where he worked night shifts in 2005 and 2006. He also concealed this fact from colleagues by recording the medicines as if they had been administered.

The NMC's independent panel ruled that the failure to administer treatment was made more serious by the fact that he attempted to conceal the wrongdoing. The panel accepted evidence for his actions from Callaghan's colleague, who had counted exactly the same number of medicines in the drugs cupboard and trolley before Callaghan's shift and afterwards to establish that they had not been used. She had also observed that one patient who had been producing signs of improvement with medication she had been monitoring had been showing signs of increased pain after nightshifts when Callaghan had been on duty. The panel ruled her investigations and observations as entirely proper and done with the best interest of patients in mind.

Lesley Conway spokesperson for the NMC commented:

"The panel ruled that Callaghan had acted in breach of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct in that he failed in his duty of care to patients, and failed to act in such a way as to justify the trust and confidence the public has in registered nurses. In particular, he jeopardised the safe care of vulnerable patients who were denied their normal treatment and possibly caused them unnecessary pain and suffering.

"The Code also states that nurses must ensure that health care records for patients are accurate so that care can be planned and delivered. His false entries in the records meant that their health care records were not accurate and might have further compromised safe treatment.

"The panel also considered that these charges concerned very vulnerable patients, who were not in a position to speak for themselves and were dependent on Callaghan to provide appropriate nursing care.

"Callaghan denied all allegations showing such a lack of insight into his shortcomings that the panel was not satisfied that similar behaviour would not be repeated in the future. In their primary duty to protect the public the panel concluded that the only appropriate sanction was a striking off order."

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