Care home nurse suspended for perfume theft

A CARE home nurse has been suspended for the theft of a bottle of perfume from a resident, following disciplinary proceedings.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing found that Elsa McCormick took the bottle of Marc Jacobs perfume from a resident’s room at Highfield Hall Care Home in Haslingden without permission on July 7 last year.

The registered nurse was handed a 12-month suspension order, and an interim suspension order for 18 months.

The NMC hearing heard that Ms McCormick had been employed at the care home between October 2015 and January 2016 before moving on to Hill View Care Centre - one of its sister care homes - but continued to do shifts at Highfield Hall.

The hearing was told that a care assistant had given the resident the bottle of perfume ‘a week or so earlier’ and noticed it was missing on July 7.

The bottle was later found inside Ms McCormick’s bag and the home manager reported the incident to police.

The next day she resigned from the home and in a letter stated ‘I am very sorry for any embarrassment caused to you or the company.

It was not done deliberately or intended’, the panel heard.

However, Ms McCormick later denied the allegations and claimed that she ‘does not recall taking the bottle of perfume’.

She told the NMC through an email from her representative that she ‘admitted to the police under duress that she took the bottle of perfume’ and that ‘there could have been another explanation for how the perfume came to be found in her bag’.

However, the NMC panel concluded that there was clear evidence of Ms McCormick making admissions both to the police and home manager and that ‘this was supported by her being apologetic and embarrassed’.

The panel found proven charges that she took the perfume and that her conduct was dishonest.

The report added: “The panel also considered that the facts found proved in this case amounted to theft.”

If no appeal against the NMC decision is made within 28 days then the interim order will be replaced by the suspension order.

Lancashire Police confirmed that they were called to the care home on July 7, 2016.

The incident was dealt with by way of a ‘community resolution’ and no criminal action was taken.