Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dundee care home worker struck off
A DUNDEE care home worker who “abused the trust of the public” has been struck off.
Derek Gordon was given a one-year conditions of practice order in June 2016 for a series of blunders while working at Lochleven Care Home, Lawers Drive, Panmurefield, in October 2014.
They included wrongly dispensing the sleeping pill zopiclone to a resident and failing to record an eye complaint made by another.
Gordon has now been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after breaching the previous order.
He applied for two jobs as a registered nurse but failed to mention the order to his prospective new employers.
An NMC panel found Gordon’s “flagrant disregard” for the order meant the risk to patient safety had increased.
The panel’s report says: “Given that Mr Gordon has shrunk from his professional responsibilities in not declaring his conditions of practice order, the panel is of the view that the risk to patient safety in this case has increased
“To breach the order of a professional regulator is a serious matter and the panel is of the view that it is necessary to send the message to the public and fellow professionals that this conduct is unacceptable and must not occur.”
Gordon admitted giving a resident zopiclone at 5.45pm on October 20 2014 when it was supposed to be administered at night.
He also failed to carry out any observations, consult a GP or seek medical attention for the resident, and did not report or record the incident. Gordon claimed he was under pressure due to residents crowding around his trolley while he was doing the drug round.
He also failed to report a patient’s complaint about an eye problem on October 24 2014 and behaved in an “inappropriate and unprofessional manner” towards a health care assistant.
The striking-off order will come into force once his conditions of practice order expires in July.
The panel’s report adds: “Mr Gordon has abused the trust of the public and the NMC as regulator.
“The panel therefore considered that the only sanction which would satisfy the public interest and uphold the public confidence in the profession and the NMC as a regulator was a striking-off order.”
A woman who answered the door at Gordon’s home said he was not available to comment.