‘Complacent’ NHS nurse given caution

AN experienced nurse who put a woman in hospital after giving her a drug she was allergic to has been given a caution.

Jayne Woolhouse also induced an abortion in another woman without following the correct procedure and obtaining the signatures of two doctors, and in another incident failed to update the patient’s record after prescribing drugs.

Woolhouse faced six charges when her case went before the Nursing and Midwifery Council last week.

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The incidents occurred when Woolhouse was a sister in the Pregnancy Advisory Service, based at Rotherham General Hospital.

Woolhouse was also found guilty of carrying out a scan on another patient when she was unqualified to perform it. When the woman was examined further, the following day, it was found that some remnants of her abortion may not have been removed.

Woolhouse was found not guilty of allowing another woman to go home bleeding after an abortion without consulting a doctor.

The incidents all occurred in May and June 2009.

The board heard about Woolhouse’s difficult personal, family and work situation at the time of the incidents.

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The Nursing and Midwifery Council found Woolhouse guilty of misconduct and ruled that her fitness to practice was impaired.

They made a three year caution order.

Panel chairman Elspeth Matcalfe said: “Although there is evidence that Ms Woolhouse’s failings did cause some patient harm, in particular with respect to Patient A, there has been no evidence that, although not isolated, these actions were deliberate, and that she made early admissions and apologised for her failings.”

She added: “The panel is of the view that there may have been an element of complacency in Ms Woolhouse’s actions; she was an experienced nurse who knew the standards that were required of her.

“The failings that have been found proved as demonstrated throughout the charges relate to a failure of basic elements of nursing and the panel finds that there is a risk of repetition should these failings not be addressed.”

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“The panel finds that Ms Woolhouse has shown a degree of insight into her failings; she admitted the allegations at an early stage, although some of these admissions came with an explanation of the context of the errors.”

“The panel accepts the evidence of Ms Woolhouse in her written statement that there was clearly poor practice within the team in relation to medications administration and record keeping.”

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