Yeovil District Hospital: Nurse struck off for letting child leave ward

The trust that runs Yeovil District Hospital said no patients were put in danger

A nurse has been struck off after allowing a child to leave a ward without informing social services.

Fiona Sarah Diba worked at Yeovil District Hospital in December 2016.

During this time she allowed a child to leave the children's ward with its parents, breaching a protection plan.

Yeovil Hospital NHS Foundation Trust welcomed the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) decision that striking Ms Diba off was the only way to "adequately protect the public".

A decision to make Ms Diba's temporary suspension permanent was taken at an NMC practice committee on 23 July.

At a previous hearing, the following charges against Miss Diba were proved:

• That she failed to conduct or record any observations on a patient from 2pm onwards on 12 December, 2016

• That she failed to record pain relief medication given to a different patient on the same date

• That she allowed Child A to leave the ward with its parents on 14 December, in contravention of social services' orders and without a handover from a colleague

Ms Diba stated in 2020 that she had been "having personal issues", adding: "I have no intention to return to nursing practice, and have chosen to pursue a different career pathway."

The NMC panel concluded striking her off the nursing register was the only way to "adequately protect the public and serve the public interest".

A Yeovil Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman said: "Ms Diba was an agency nurse, not an employee, who worked a small number of shifts at our hospital more than four years ago before concerns were raised.

"The safety of our patients is paramount and, where our high standards of care are not maintained, we will always act quickly," she added.