Mental Health Patients ‘Were Attacked Several Times’

A bullying nurse shoved, kicked and kneed frail elderly Peterborough patients in his care, an inquiry heard yesterday. Norman Pearce (59) roughly handled and screamed at vulnerable residents while on duty at Dove House in Peterborough, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was told.

Shocked colleagues saw Pearce regularly using aggressive and intimidating language to 11 of his patients, the inquiry heard. Pearce repeatedly poked a retired RAF officer in the chest and shouted: “You may have been in charge then, but I am in charge now.”

David Mortimer, for the NMC, said the ward caters for elderly people with dementia and mental health issues. Mr Mortimer told the hearing that concerns were raised by a care assistant who witnessed incidents of abuse during a shift on January 12, 2004.

An investigation then uncovered a string of allegations over the previous year.

“The respondent (Pearce) physically assaulted patients, restrained patients in an inappropriate manner and was generally abusive and aggressive to them,” Mr Mortimer said. One frail elderly woman, referred to as Patient E, was roughly picked up from her wheelchair by her elbows and dumped in a dining chair. Pearce then assaulted another old man, Patient A, by kneeing him on his leg.

Charlotte Day, a care assistant at the hospital, wrote a letter of complaint on January 13, 2004 after witnessing some of Pearce’s abuse on a shift the day before. She told the hearing that staff used to try and keep Pearce away from patients. “He was rude and he was abrupt and he tried his best to verbally humiliate the patients. He was aggressive in his body language and his manner,” she said.

She also told the hearing she heard a patient screaming “please let me die” as Pearce twisted back her hands. Miss Day said she witnessed Pearce, said to be six ft three or four ins tall and around 24 stone, attacking patients on a string of occasions.

Pearce, who qualified in 1974, worked at Dove House from January 2003 until January 2004. He is charged with two counts of assaulting patients, two counts of roughly handling patients, one charge of responding inappropriately to a patient, three counts of applying undue pressure to a patient, and four counts of acting aggressively to a patient.

Pearce also failed to respect the dignity and uniqueness of a patient, and three counts of intimidating patients, it is said. He is not attending the central London hearing.

The hearing continues.