Bupa nurse: You are here to die

A BUPA nurse who told elderly patients at a care home they were ‘only here to die’ has been struck off.

Suzanne Hoggan told a dementia sufferer: ‘You shut up or you’re not getting a pudding.’

Hoggan also told the woman to ‘eat your food properly or you’ll go to your room’.

The nurse pushed patients to the floor and told one: ‘See, that’s your own fault, get up yourself.’

Hoggan said she wanted to cancel medical appointments for dementia patients at the Newcarron Court Care Home in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, adding: ‘I’m going to have words with nurses about appointments here and appointments there.

‘They’re not needed because at the end of the day, people are here to die.’

The nurse also dragged an old lady down the corridor of the home until the patient fell to her knees, the Nursing & Midwifery Council heard.

Hoggan sent a letter of resignation to the home in January 2015 and has since indicated she no longer wants to practise as a nurse. Panel chairman Clive Chalk said Hoggan had expressed no remorse for her actions.

Mr Chalk added: ‘She has provided no further evidence of insight, reflection or remediation.

‘In the absence of such information, the panel concluded that she remains liable to repeat matters of the kind found proved for the reasons given by the previous panel.’

He said the panel took into account Hoggan’s letter and ‘noted that she has not engaged thus far and has indicated in the strongest terms that she no longer wishes to practise as a nurse or remain on the register.

‘The panel therefore decided that a further period of suspension would serve no useful purpose.

‘Accordingly, the panel determined that the only appropriate sanction in this case was a striking-off order.

‘This order will take effect upon the expiry of the existing suspension order on March 31, 2018.’