Care nurse hit with ban

‘No remorse’ from worker found ‘pre-potting’ medicine

A care home nurse who adm in istered medicine to elderly residents in a n “a la r mi ng” fash ion has been banned from practising for four months.

Brian Thomson had worked at Finavon Court Care Home for 17 years before he resigned following an investigation into the way he was giving medicine to residents.

Staff at the care home, run by national provider HC-One, raised concerns about his conduct after he was seen leaving the door of the treatment room – used to store medicine – open on two occasions on the same day.

He initially denied doing this when asked by internal investigators, but later said it was “maybe the case” that he had left the room unlocked.

Workers also witnessed Mr Thomson “pre-potting” medication for multiple residents at once. Such a practice risks residents being given the wrong medicines, or the wrong dosages.

He was then seen giving the medicine out without filling in the appropriate reports for one resident at a time and then signed off every report at once.

Following the allegations of misconduct between June 19-20 2018, Mr Thomson was called to an investigation meeting on June 20.

He then quit his job and has not worked as a nurse since last year.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was called in to further investigate the claims and has determined that Mr Thomson breached patient safety rules.

Mr Thomson said that he had “always” done things this way for “quickness”.

An independent panel convened by the watchdog concluded that Mr Thomson “did not appear to recognise the potential harm that could have been caused” as a result of his taking shortcuts and did not appear to show “any genuine remorse” despite apologising.

The NMC suspended Mr Thomson for four months.

HC-One was contacted for comment. Mr Thomson declined to comment when approached.

Brian Thomson worked at Finavon Court Care Home in Forfar.