A 73-year-old nurse slapped a patient in the face
A 73-year-old nurse slapped a patient in the face for going to bed early, an inquiry heard today (MON).
John Denton had not even come on duty when he threatened to knock the 65 year-old man’s ‘head off’ for being asleep before 9pm.
The elderly carer at Valewood Nursing Home in Haslemere, Surrey, said the schizophrenic patient would be awake all night if he did not stay up late.
Denton, who qualified in 1952, is now accused of two charges of misconduct for slapping Mr A and being verbally abusive towards him on April 26, 2000.
He was sacked after admitting the slap at a disciplinary tribunal last May.
Care assistant Lisa Norgate said it was nearing the end of her shift at 8.
30pm when Denton arrived – due to take over at 9pm.
He asked them to get patient A up but they found him undressed and unwilling to move.
Miss Norgate said: ‘He went up to the room.
Later he came back into the staff room and said the patient was getting up.
‘I asked him how he managed it and he said “Oh I just pulled his legs to sit him up and he slapped me, so I slapped him back.
”
‘At first I thought he was joking but no, he was serious.
‘
Counsel for the UKCC, Robert Girling told the committee: ‘He said staff were allowed to defend themsleves and believed his acitons were appropriate in the circumstances.
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Matron Shirley Houghton described Denton as an ‘old-school nurse’ who was strict with patients and staff.
She said he admitted slapping Mr A as soon as she came on duty the next morning but he did not fill in an incident form because he was going on holiday.
The patient was found to have an inch-long cut on his chin the next morning.
Mrs Houghton later took notes at the disciplinary hearing on May 9.
She said: ‘He thought it was justified what he had done, that it was just a storm in a teacup.
He said it was a reflex reaction.
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At the hearing Denton also admitted threatening the patient with the words: ‘Do that again and I will knock your head off.
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Denton, who has not attended the hearing, denies misconduct.
The hearing continues.
ends
