Wirral care home nurse who gave out wrong doses suspended

Ruth Patten had wanted to return to nursing but the NMC says she has shown "no insight" a decade on

A nurse who gave incorrect doses of medication to a patient and falsely recorded it has been kept suspended a decade on from the incident.

Ruth Patten gave the wrong dose of painkillers to a resident and made false records In July 2013, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said.

Ms Patten has been sanctioned by the NMC for the eighth time since then.

The nurse originally claimed she completed the tasks correctly at Benham Care Home in Bromborough, Wirral.

She was first suspended by the NMC after charges against her were found proven in 2015.

Ms Patten had sought to return to the care profession but a fresh 12-month suspension was ordered.

A fitness-to-practise hearing was told after her initial hearing eight years ago, Ms Patton faced a further six review sessions in which she was suspended or issued with further conditions of practise orders, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Still impairment'

Ms Patton has been under sanction for eight of 12 years since registering as a nurse in 2011.

The original panel investigating Ms Patton took the view she had demonstrated an understanding of what she did was wrong and that she had taken full responsibility for the failures.

But the new panel felt the former care home worker had not shown "any evidence of insight" since the order was imposed in September 2015.

She had made enquiries about a return to nursing practice at the University of Chester in August, the hearing was told.

An NMC report said: "The panel considered there was still impairment and the need to protect the public. 

"The panel determined that there is an issue in public confidence as this is the eighth review of a charge that originated in 2013.

"It determined that there would be a desire from the public for the effective disposal of this case."

As a result, she was suspended for an additional 12 months.

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