Nurse banned over 'black eye' and false documents

Emma Bilsborough was working as an acting lead nurse at Royal Oldham Hospital

A nurse who faked safety reports and failed to investigate after an elderly patient was left with a "severe black eye" has been banned from practising.

Emma Bilsborough was working at Royal Oldham Hospital in Greater Manchester when concerns were raised about her "falsifying clinical checklists" by adding staff initials to suggest safety checks had been completed.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard Bilsborough, who was working as an acting lead nurse during the time of the incidents in July and August 2021, had also failed to investigate concerns raised by a woman about her mother's black eye.

Suspecting a fall, she complained "neither the day or night staff" had logged any details.

'No inspection'

In her complaint, the woman noted: "I asked for an incident to be raised as to how this could have happened.

"I have heard nothing."

A subsequent investigation revealed Ms Bilsborough had failed to look into circumstances surrounding the elderly patient's bruise and had instead recorded false information to say she had seen the patient, the bruise had been "small", and she had informed the woman's daughter.

Evidence given by another senior staff member revealed how Ms Bilsborough conducted "no inspection of the bruise" and had failed to either have a conversation with the patient's family or apologise to them.

Ms Bilborough was also found to have falsified staff initials on checklists on three separate occasions in a bid to prove that safety checks had been done.

One witness described feeling "uncomfortable" after discovering the senior nurse had been backdating records by using her initials.

Another said she found out Ms Bilsborough had been using her initials to sign records "going back months".

'Vulnerable patient'

The falsified records included fridge checks - carried out to ensure medication is kept at the correct temperature - as well as treatment room checks and cleaning checks.

Despite the serious allegations lodged against the former nurse, she failed to turn up for the NMC hearing, which took place over 10 days from 1 to 12 September.

The tribunal found Ms Bilsborough's actions had amounted to "serious misconduct" and that there was a real risk of medicine being stored incorrectly as a result of the fake fridge checks, something which could compromise patient safety.

The panel said the nurse's lies were of a "repetitive nature" and that she had caused physical and emotional harm to the "vulnerable patient" involved.

Additionally, Ms Bilsborough was criticised for putting her subordinates in a "vulnerable position" in which, due to their roles, they felt they could not challenge her.

She has been struck off the nursing register but will be given the opportunity to appeal.