Nurse struck off for treatment of dying elderly hospice patients.

HEALTH: Nurse worked in hospice and hospital ward for elderly in Fife

A nurse has been struck off after roughly handling one hospice patient and showing disrespect to another.

The revelations about Nancy Smith are contained in a report by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) following a hearing in Edinburgh last month.

She faced 18 charges coming before the NMC, 13 of which were found proved.

Mrs Smith worked at a hospital-based hospice and a hospital ward for elderly patients with “complex care needs”, both in Fife.

While providing care to terminally ill patients at the hospice in the Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline during 2014 she was found to have roughly handled a patient who was in the last stages of his life.

The NMC report read: “You grabbed Patient B at the back of his knees, pulled his legs right over in a rough and quick manner”.

A nurse told the hearing that Patient B “was distressed and in some discomfort by the way he screwed up his eyes.”

The same nurse said she later apologised for her colleague’s conduct.

In another charge found proved, Mrs Smith was found to have placed a “paper towel” over her face whilst tending to a palliative care patient with cancer.

The NMC report stated she refused to remove the paper towel despite being asked by another member of staff.

Mrs Smith claimed she did not have time to fetch a proper mask.

The NMC report reveals that in July 2015, following the hospice incidents, Mrs Smith was transferred to a ward at Glenrothes Hospital which dealt with elderly people with “complex care needs”.

The move was part of an action plan drawn up by health chiefs to provide extra support to Mrs Smith.

But Mrs Smith’s conduct continued to cause concern, and in September 2015 she went on special leave.

Within two days of making a “phased return”, on February 15 last year it was said she mistreated Patient F, a 98-year-old blind woman.

The NMW report read: “Ms 6 said that Patient F took hold of her hand and would not let go, repeating that she was really sore and saying ‘she’s trying to kill me’.

“Ms 6 went on to state that you did not speak to Patient F whilst cleaning her, and she was astonished to hear you say, ‘Oh its big lumps like you that give us a sore back’.”

Ms 6 went on to state that you did not speak to Patient F whilst cleaning her and she was astonished to hear you say, ‘Oh its big lumps like you that give us a sore back’. NMW REPORTW