Covid: Carer who flouted coronavirus rules struck off

Heidi Dunt had also been working at a Bangor hospital, where there had been Covid cases

A care worker who hugged an elderly couple at the height of the coronavirus pandemic has been struck off.

A fitness to practise hearing was told Heidi Dunt, 31, went to the home of the vulnerable adults in May last year.

However, she was not working at the time and Covid restrictions meant she should not have been at the property.

A month later, the Anglesey care worker received a suspended sentence for dangerous driving and failed to tell officials about the impending case.

The Social Care Wales panel was told that Dunt had been working at Ysbyty Gwynedd, in Bangor, where there were several Covid cases at the time of the care visit incident.

Two other carers at the home of the couple described how they were helping the husband and wife when Dunt arrived, and she tried to put the woman to bed before being asked to leave.

It was then that she gave both of the couple a hug.

Dunt claimed in interviews that she had full personal protective clothing at the time, which was disputed by the two other carers, who said she was only wearing gloves.

The panel found she had acted inappropriately, putting the couple and other carers "at risk of harm".

'Reckless'

The hearing also found Dunt had a duty of care to notify Social Care Wales of the ongoing legal proceedings relating to the dangerous driving charges.

"She is required to tell Social Care Wales without delay about anything which may call into question her suitability to work in domiciliary care, and this includes criminal proceedings and convictions," said the committee in its judgment.

Her conduct in not disclosing the proceedings was found to be dishonest or lacking integrity.

Dunt, of Menai Bridge, did not attend the remote three-day hearing.

Removing her from the register of social workers, the panel said she had shown no remorse or insight into the impact of her serious misconduct and "there was a serious risk of repetition".

"We consider Ms Dunt acted recklessly without any thought for others. That is compounded by her failure to recognise any fault on her part."