Bullying nurse ruling may go to High Court
A“LENIENT” suspension for a chief nurse who bullied and intimidated staff and ignored serious safety concerns could be appealed against in the High Court.
The move comes after West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper wrote to the Nursing and Miwifery Council (NMC) to question the 12- month suspension given to Helen Lockett, former executive nurse of the Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust (LCH).
A disciplinary panel found 34 charges proved against Ms Lockett, but its punishment sparked anger when it was published last month.
Labour MP Ms Cooper, who was responsible for referring Ms Lockett to the NMC when none of the NHS regulatory bodies did, branded the punishment “a clear undermining of confidence in health service oversight and the Fitness to Practice process”.
The panel found Ms Lockett had failed to take adequate action concerning reports of inadequate staffing and medication administration and she did not properly respond to reports following the deaths of inmates at Liverpool prison.
It was also found that she bullied and intimidated colleagues, including telling one nurse that she had “wasted 35 years of her life in the nursing profession”.
The NMC had sought to have Ms Lockett struck off the nursing register, but the panel said “it was not in the public interest to permanently remove such an experienced and respected nurse from the practice”.
Ms Cooper said: “In the report, the NMC say they decided against striking Helen Lockett off as it would be disproportionate. I think striking off would have been the only safe decision and a wholly appropriate response to Ms Lockett being found to have bullied staff, failed to ensure appropriate standards of care for patients and shown reckless disregard by financially cutting nurse numbers to make the books balance while patients suffered.
“For caring, hardworking NHS nurses and their patients this judgement sends the message that NMC sanctions is the spider’s web through which the ‘big’ flies easily pass.
“The Fitness to Practice Committee have evidently treated this case as one incident, despite it being a threeyear ‘reign of terror’ which ended with Helen Lockett receiving a £25,000 payoff to leave quickly instead of the proper disciplinary hearing which should have taken place.
“Yet again, the NHS failed to deal with serious failures by moving on the problem and the NMC have compounded that failure.”
After the decision prompted widespread condemnation, the NMC, which pushed for Ms Lockett to be permanently struck off, says it has referred itself to the Professional Standards Authority which has the power to appeal to the High Court.
Clare Strickland, deputy director of Fitness to Practice at the NMC said: “We have considered very carefully the decision of the independent panel.
“We believe the panel took a rigorous approach to this complex case and was right to find
Ms Lockett’s fitness to practice impaired.
“However, in our view the panel’s reasons do not adequately explain why a 12-month suspension order was sufficient in light of the panel’s own findings and the NMC’s guidance on sanctions.
“We have therefore asked the PSA to consider exercising their power to appeal to the High Court.”
Ms Cooper said: ”I am pleased that the NMC recognise that in view of the gravity and number of charges Ms Lockett was found guilty of, the panel decision needed reviewing because of the inconsistency between the decision and the evidence presented.
“The decision to refer on to the PSA is at least consistent with the views of the numerous nursing professionals who have contacted me on this matter.
“I hope that Professional Standards Agency will agree to look at this matter with great urgency as the harm being done to victims is being exacerbated by not seeing justice done.”