Nurse convicted of neglect is struck off

A panel at a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing decided that Sharon Richmond’s fitness to practise was impaired after she was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court last year of willfully neglecting a patient at the Dean Wood Manor care home in Orrell.

The 42-year-old was found to have left a patient who had advanced dementia unattended, on the floor and naked from the waist down because she had become aggressive and bitten her.

A report following the hearing describes Patient A as an elderly female patient, requiring assistance with all personal care who was “often confused, anxious and verbally aggressive”.

The incident occurred when Richmond was the nurse in charge of a night shift in 2014 when at about 11.30pm, she, along with a healthcare assistants, tried to get Patient A, who had sustained a hairline fracture to her pelvis just weeks before, ready for bed.

While trying to undress her, Patient A began shouting and screaming, making it difficult for the healthcare assistants and at some point, Miss Richmond was heard to say that the patient had bitten her on the breast.

The report reads: “Miss Richmond then ordered the Healthcare Assistants out of Patient A’s room.

“Patient A was briefly left unattended on the floor with no clothing on her lower body. Miss Richmond then returned to the room and picked Patient A up by the waist and put her on the bed, before throwing covers over her.

“The incident was reported to the Home’s management, who in turn reported the matter to the police.”

Richmond, of Lorne Street, Fairfield, Liverpool, was fired from Dean Wood Manor, which has since been taken over by a new company, after she admitted the offence in July last year.

She was sentenced to three months in custody suspended for 18 months in August and was not present for this month’s NMC hearing.

The report adds: “The panel considered that Miss Richmond’s actions fell far short of those expected of a registered nurse.

“Miss Richmond acted aggressively towards a vulnerable patient and failed to provide adequate care to Patient A. In addition, Miss Richmond instructed junior colleagues to leave the room, and leave Patient A unattended. That was clearly inappropriate.

“By acting aggressively towards a vulnerable, elderly and highly-dependent patient, Miss Richmond has breached a fundamental tenet of the nursing profession.

“The panel has no evidence of any remorse from Miss Richmond. In the absence of remorse, real insight or remediation, the panel had no grounds on which to conclude that Miss Richmond’s behaviour would not be repeated.”

The panel concluded that the seriousness of the conviction meant only a striking off order was sufficient. An interim suspension order of 18 months was also imposed to cover any potential appeal process.