Nurse who left patient in agony given caution (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Nurse who left patient in agony given caution

11:50am Wednesday 16th August 2006

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A Croydon nurse who left a patient in agony and with blood pouring down his face when she tried to wrench a metal clip from his skull with plastic tweezers has been allowed to continue practising.

Mary Varkey, 44, should have used metal clippers when removing the clip from the patient's head at the Walton Centre NHS Trust, the Nursery and Midwifery Council were told.

The committee also heard how Varkey mixed up two patients prior to administrating a codeine phosphate injection in February 2003 and stopped only when the blunder was spotted by a colleague. In the same month she failed to maintain the dignity of a patient by not covering her when changing her bed after a bed bath.

But the nurse, who was found guilty of three counts of professional misconduct following a two day hearing, was only issued with a caution because of her improving skills and glowing references from colleagues.

Issuing Varkey with the caution, chairman Moi Ali told her that the panel had given "serious consideration" to removing her name from the register, but was reassured by the fact she had excellent references from current senior colleagues.

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