A senior nurse today (WED) angrily denied she left

A senior nurse today (WED) angrily denied she left elderly men to sleep in their own faeces at a care home in north-east England.

Sister Anne Hall was quizzed over her practice when incontinent men soiled themselves during the night at the Bamburgh Court Care Centre in South Shields.

Experienced nurse Philip Brown, 48, had proposed three men should be intimately shaved to make it easier to clean them without causing them distress.

But his suggestion is now one of four allegations of misconduct raised against him, the Nursing and Midwifery Council in London has heard.

Today Mrs Hall dismissed Brown’s plan and said: ‘It would be an invasion of someone’s privacy.

‘It is not something I would have done and not acceptable practice.

‘

She said there were more efficient ways of dealing with the problem – such as employing better bowel management techniques or incontinence pads.

Mrs Hall added: ‘If it was possible to clean them, I would clean them.

If residents object, we do have incontinence pads.

‘

The witness, who normally headed the day shift of the 32 bed elderly mentally infirm unit told the hearing: ‘Normally I would let residents sleep, clean them the best I could and make sure they had a bath or shower first thing in the morning.

‘

Edward Legard, defending Brown, alleged there was a lack of pads or a ‘perceived lack’ of supplies.

He asked: ‘Some carers on the night shift had taken to hiding pads under mattresses and in pianos.

‘

Mrs Hall replied: ‘I knew they were storing them, but I did not know they had gone to those extremes.

‘

She admitted there was rivalry between carers on the day and night shift.

But Mrs Hall said any shortages should have been raised with the management.

Brown claims his proposal to shave the residents was to ensure discomfort was minimised when cleaning them.

He also said that the plan would ‘protect their dignity’ and ‘improve the quality of their lives.

‘

Mrs Hall accepted her former colleague had a genuine motive.

Mr Legard described his client as an ‘hands on’ boss and alleged Mrs Hall did not like cleaning residents.

He added: ‘You would leave these gentlemen asleep in their own faeces because you personally were adverse to cleaning them at night with soap and water,’ he said.

‘It is extremely undignified to leave elderly men sleeping in their own faeces.

‘

Mrs Hall replied: ‘I accept it is unacceptable.

‘But if you clean them up as best you can, I don’t see why you should disturb them.

You ensure they have a bath in the morning.

‘

Mr Legard claimed: ‘You would not treat a new born baby like that.

‘

Mrs Hall pointed out that babies were light sleepers and woke up to be fed and changed.

‘I just don’t agree that I am in the wrong,’ she added.

Brown, from Tyneside, denies three allegations of misconduct at the Bamburgh Court Care Centre during his employment between July 31 and November 10, 2000.

He also denies a further allegation of misconduct on the night of May 9 and 10, 2001, when he was working at the Balmoral Court Nursing and Residential Care Home, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

The hearing continues.

ends

addsleep.