Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Shamed nurse got job as care worker
A DUNDEE nurse who was struck off from health work found a new job as a carer for disabled adults in the city, it has emerged.
Derek Gordon was given a one-year conditions of practice order in June 2016 for a series of blunders while working as a nurse at Lochleven Care Home, Lawers Drive, Panmurefield, in October 2014.
The slip-ups included wrongly dispensing the sleeping pill zopiclone to a resident and failing to record an eye complaint made by another.
As revealed by the Tele, Gordon was finally struck off the nursing register last month by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after breaching the previous order by applying for jobs and failing to tell prospective employers about the order.
Now, it has emerged that Gordon has been employed as a care worker for Blackwood Care — which is based in Jack Martin Way in Dundee — since February.
A spokeswoman for the firm said he was suspended from his role on Monday.
The company provides housing and inhouse care for people with disabilities or special needs.
The spokeswoman said: “We can confirm the individual was employed i n February this year and he did not declare his previous practice order from the NMC.
“As soon as we became aware of his registered status, we suspended the individual with immediate effect.
“However, the individual has been off for several weeks due to illness. We abide by our formal contractual arrangements to suspend first prior to terminating a contract.
“When the evidence is clear, such as being struck off the NMC register, then the contract would be terminated.
“I would like to reiterate that the individual did not declare his previous practice order from the NMC as he was obligated to do so, and Blackwood acted on the matter as soon as we were notified.”
At the earlier NMC hearing, the panel found Gordon’s “flagrant disregard” for the order meant the risk to patient safety had increased.
Its report said: “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.”
Gordon declined to comment when approached by the Tele.