Care Home Nurse Cautioned For Maladministration Of Drugs And Poor Record Keeping, UK

Main Category: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Also Included In: Caregivers / Homecare;  Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 29 Nov 2007 - 4:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

A 52 year old mental health nurse from Blackpool received an 18 month Caution Order on 27 November, 2007 at a Conduct and Competence hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council in London.

Mrs Myfanwy Evelyn Riley was employed as matron by Lytham Court Care Home when charged with several accounts of poor record keeping and maladministration of drugs over a period between 1 September 2004 and 1 August 2005.

Following a two day hearing, an independent panel of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) Conduct and Competence Committee found her to be guilty by admission of 9 allegations of misconduct. However, the panel also heard evidence of inherited system failures within the Home when she took over as well as evidence that she had made some improvements during the time she was employed there.

Commenting on the outcome of the hearing, NMC spokesperson Leila Harris said,

"The panel reached this decision having heard the evidence that proved the charges before it. Mrs Riley was responsible for the care of very vulnerable, elderly patients with a number of clinically unstable conditions. Her failure to record and/or administer prescribed medication put their care at risk. However, the panel also took into account what it considered to be substantial mitigating circumstances presented in the case and reached the decision that a Caution Order for a period of 18 months was proportionate to the specific facts and circumstances of 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 practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct. Currently the number of registrants exceeds 682,000. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (The Order), sets out the NMC's role and responsibilities.

The independent panel is selected from a pool of individuals appointed by the Appointments Board. They come from a variety of backgrounds and are not NMC Council members, nor do they sit on any committee of the Council.

Nursing and Midwifery Council

• Additional
• References
• Citations