Blackburn nurse left dying man and pocketed patients' food

Teresa Bacon's behaviour was described as "deplorable"

A "deplorable" nurse who left a dying man to go on her break and took food from the trays of patients has been struck off.

Teresa Bacon, who worked at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, ignored one woman's request to change her dressings.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said it acted quickly when concerns were raised.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) found all 17 allegations against her proven.

The trust referred digestive diseases ward nurse Ms Bacon to the NMC in May 2020.

Its investigators spoke to her colleagues, and to a woman referred to as "Patient B", who said Ms Bacon had shouted at her and ignored her pleas for help.

The most serious complaint related to her conduct towards a man referred to as "Patient A", who began experiencing breathing difficulties on 28 April, 2019.

The NMA's independent panel heard a health care assistant (HCA) - referred to as "Witness 5" - approached Ms Bacon several times asking for help with the man.

But the Band 5 nurse "failed to respond in a timely manner".

Hospital managers said they "acted quickly" when concerns about Ms Bacon were raised

She was described as "uninterested" and as having given Witness 5 "the brush off".

When she did come back to help, Ms Bacon placed an oxygen mask on Patient A and left Witness 5 and another HCA to tend to him while she went on a break.

Another nurse, referred to as Witness 3, told investigators: "I couldn't believe she had just gone to break.

"It was a completely incorrect action to take."

Ms Bacon did not seek out a doctor or a more senior nurse before going on her break, and had to be called back when he stopped breathing.

She also failed to record her reasoning in using the oxygen mask in his care notes.

'Regularly took food'

Further concerns about Ms Bacon's professionalism were reported by her colleagues.

Witness 5 told investigators she "regularly" took food intended for patients.

She said: "She would always have pockets full of food.

"I have seen her look for her keys in her pockets, and take out all the patient food she has stored in them before finding her key."

Witness 5 also described how Ms Bacon would sometimes "act like she was helping" hand out the trays of food to patients so she could "access cakes off them".

The HCA referred to one specific occasion when she placed a meal on a tray for a patient when Ms Bacon was "the only other person there".

"When I got around to giving bed sixteen their tray, their pudding had disappeared", she said.

'Humiliated patients'

The panel was told the hospital's policy was that "staff should not touch or eat any food off the trolley as it was for patients", even if it had been left untouched.

Complaints included that Ms Bacon shouted at patients, did not give Patient B her medication and then falsely recorded that she had, and that she had "inappropriate" conversations with some male patients about her personal life.

Patient B told investigators: "Teresa would frequently shout at me for no reason.

"There were other times when she was fine and then she would just turn."

The woman added: "She humiliates patients."

The independent panel concluded Ms Bacon was guilty of "serious failings" in the case of Patient A, and had also failed to treat other patients with care and compassion.

Announcing its decision to strike her off the register, the panel described her behaviour as "deplorable" and said patients were put at risk of "physical and emotional harm".

Peter Murphy, chief nurse at the trust, said "poor and disrespectful" behaviour would be dealt with "firmly".

He said: "I want to add that the actions of this person do not reflect the majority of compassionate and hard working colleagues who are caring for people across all services every day."

Ms Bacon failed to attend a fitness to practise hearing.