Care Home Nurse Struck Off Register

A nurse from Par has been struck off the nursing register, after admitting shutting a care home resident in her bedroom after she had been burned by a fire in the cushion of her electric chair.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s conduct committee heard that the incident took place in January, 2005, at Kenwyn Care Home in Truro, where Peter Herbert Hall worked for the owners, Barchester Care Homes.

The committee was told that Mr Hall, 67, failed to examine or treat the resident after finding her sitting on the floor with a seriously burned thigh. He failed to take her to safety when the room began to fill with smoke and left her alone in her room. He also failed to tell the nurse in charge about her and that she was still in her room, thereby delaying treatment.

The council’s conduct committee found that Mr Hall had seriously neglected his duty of care to the resident and was guilty of misconduct.

The council’s spokesperson, Polly Kettenacker, said: “Mr Hall’s actions and omissions leading to excessive suffering on the part of a resident, represent a very grave breach of the professional code of conduct. The fact the resident was frail and vulnerable only made the case more serious.”