Senior nurse guilty of misconduct

A SENIOR nurse who allegedly grabbed the wrist of a woman and dragged her to the bedside of her dying father has been suspended.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council found Elizabeth Milne guilty of misconduct after the incident at Dr Kershaw's Hospice in Royton.

At a hearing, a panel imposed a three-month suspension.

Mrs Milne did not appear at the hearing to defend herself as she has already retired.

The incident happened in April, 2013, when a male patient was admitted to the hospice for two weeks of respite care.

But the day after admittance, the man's health rapidly deteriorated and he died.

It was alleged at the hearing that Mrs Milne, a nursing sister, approached the man's bedside, removed the cover from a steel bowl and showed a syringe, which she stated contained six drugs. The family were asked to leave the bedside while she administered pain relief.

Mrs Milne, it was alleged, then said to the patient's family "it's now", implying the patient was at the point of death.

But the patient's daughter did not wish to see her father dying and stood up from her chair, remaining about 20ft away.

A report of the hearing says Mrs Milne grabbed the daughter's wrist "and dragged her across the corridor" to her father's bedside.

Distress

The daughter said "no, no, no" but Mrs Milne responded by saying "it's what he wants".

It was claimed Mrs Milne was "quite forceful" and "dragged her to her father's bedside".

The daughter made a formal complaint about the way she was treated.

The panel concluded that Mrs Milne's actions "caused emotional distress to a patient's relative at a time when she was particularly vulnerable".

They decided her misconduct "indicated an attitudinal and behavioural failing".

In a statement, Dr Kershaw's said: "Elizabeth Milne worked as a nurse at Dr Kershaw's from February, 1998, until her retirement in January, 2014.

"During this time there were no other complaints of this nature raised against her. As Elizabeth no longer works at the hospice we are unable to comment further."