Brithdir Care home failings: Nurses struck off

Families have expressed their anger over the way their relatives were treated, as Hywel Griffith reports

Three nurses have been struck off for poor care - some of which led to patient deaths - at a Caerphilly county home.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council panel (NMC) found failings by five nurses at Brithdir Care Home, near Bargoed, amounted to misconduct.

Tembakazi Moyana, Daphne Richards and Rachel Tanta were struck off on Friday.

Susan Greening received a caution order and Beverley Mock was suspended for one year.

Following the hearing, families of patients who lived at the home vowed to continue campaigning for criminal cases.

In May, a disciplinary panel found 86 failings proved out of an alleged 150 against six nurses in relation to nine residents between 2004 and 2006.

They related to poor management of patients' pressure sores, record keeping at the home and other deficient care.

In the case of Miss Moyana, the panel said her care directly led to the deaths of three patients, while that of Ms Tanta contributed to one.

Ms Greening's caution will temporarily remain on her record.

Susan Greening, the only one of the five nurses to attend the hearing, left without commenting

The sanctions came after the NMC panel found seven misconduct charges proved against Christine Hayes, the director of nursing at the Caerphilly Local Health Board between 2003 and 2006.

She was found to have kept moving people to the home, despite knowing of serious concerns, and was struck off in January.

Concerns about Brithdir were raised during Operation Jasmine, an investigation by Gwent Police into allegations of neglect in south Wales care homes.

The £11.6m police inquiry collapsed when former Brithdir owner, Dr Prana Das, was declared unfit to stand trial due to brain damage he suffered in a violent burglary.

The home - which has 40 residents with dementia, mental infirmity and learning difficulties - is now under new management.

Gail Morris called for a criminal case against the nurses

Pamela Cook, whose father Stanley Bradford lived at the home, said: "We are definitely, as a group, going to try and take this forward.

"We are not giving up. It's soul destroying, the effect it's had on us."

Gail Morris's auntie, Edith Evans, died at the home and she said she will not be happy until there is a criminal case.

"I'm still just disappointed. It doesn't really mean a lot to be struck off because they are not practising anyway," she added.

The Brithdir care home is now under new management.

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