Care worker tipped dementia patient out of wheelchair
A care worker counted to three before tipping a dementia patient out of his wheelchair, a hearing was told.
The vulnerable patient ended up on the floor after refusing to change out of his urine-soaked trousers.
Hugh McCooey was later convicted of mistreating the patient and he has now been banned from practicing for a year.
Mc Cooey had been called by colleagues to help the man out of his soiled trousers at Counden Care Manor Care Home in Coventry on 29 July last year.
When the patient resisted, McCooey counted to three and tipped him out his wheelchair onto his hands and knees, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.
McCooey was later charged with assault and convicted of will-treating or wilfully neglecting
the patient at Coventry Magistrates Court on 16 October last year.
He pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to 300 hours unpaid work and to pay £475 compensation.
An NMC panel found McCooey’s action amounted to misconduct and his fitness to practice was impaired.
Panel chair Clive Powell said: ‘Service User A [The patient] was a vulnerable resident with dementia. Mr McCooey’s actions could have caused Service User A emotional and physical harm.
‘By tipping Service User A’s chair in order to get him out of the chair, Mr McCooey has brought the nursing profession into disrepute and had failed to treat Service User A with the dignity and respect that he deserved.
‘Although this was a single incident in a long career as a nurse, Mr McCooey’s actions were serious enough to warrant a criminal conviction. Thereby he had breached a fundamental tenet of the nursing profession by failing to act lawfully and within the bounds of the Code at all times.
‘We are of the view that there is a real risk of repetition based on the fact that Mr McCooey has neither provided any evidence of remediation, nor has he demonstrated full insight into his actions. We therefore decided that a finding of impairment is necessary on the grounds of public protection.
‘We have decided to make a suspension order for a period of 12 months.’
‘The purpose of a sanction is not to be punitive, although it may have that effect, but it is intended to protect patients and satisfy the wider public interest.’
‘We are of the view that 12 months would afford Mr McCooey ample time to fully reflect on his failings and demonstrate to a future review panel that he is capable of practising safely as a nurse.’
An interim suspension of 18 months was also made to allow for the possibility of an appeal in the case.
ends
MEMO
That you, a registered nurse:
1. Were convicted on 16 October 2015 in the Coventry Magistrates’ Court of having the care of Service User A by virtue of being a care worker, ill-treating or wilfully neglecting him on 28 July 2015, contrary to section 20(1) and (2) of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015.
And in light of the above, your fitness to practise is impaired by reason of your conviction.
MEMO ENDS
