Nurse struck off for racist comments to colleagues

Melanie Hayes made some of the comments while working at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

A nurse has been struck off after making racist comments about her colleagues.

Melanie Hayes admitted to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) that she had made the offensive comments.

She made them while working at the Nottinghamshire and later the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation trusts between 2012 and 2018.

She was suspended for six months but the High Court ordered she be struck off the register after an appeal.

The NMC said they were "very sorry" their original suspension decision "wasn't the right one".

During her misconduct hearing in May, the NMC panel heard how Mrs Hayes, a mental health nurse, admitted using offensive language - including racist slurs - over a period of six years.

The panel decided to suspend Mrs Hayes, of York, for six months.

It considered striking her off, but decided this would be "disproportionate".

'An appropriate outcome'

The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) appealed to the High Court, believing the suspension was "insufficient to protect the public".

The court has now ordered the NMC to strike her off the register.

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive and registrar at the NMC, said: "I'm very sorry that our original decision wasn't the right one, and I know how much concern that caused.

"I hope people feel reassured that by recognising this and referring our decision to the PSA, we've now reached an appropriate outcome.

"We're absolutely committed to learning from this and making sure that we have suitable guidance and training in place to enable us and our independent Fitness to Practise panels to make the right decisions in cases concerning racism or any other form of discrimination."

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: "The trust will not tolerate discriminatory behaviour of any kind and will take action against any colleague who makes racist remarks of this nature."