Nurse who moved bell from patient's reach so they couldn't call for help deemed 'risk to public'

A nurse has been struck off after she was deemed a risk to the public due to a catalogue of including her actions to move a bell from the reach of a vulnerable patient so they could not call for help.

The committee heard a number of allegations against Helen Annette Jones, who worked at Wrexham Maelor Hospital in Wrexham, , including the fact she falsified patient records and did not administer medicines as required. She was struck off the nursing register after a professional standards committee said Jones posed a risk to the public if she continued to work.

Jones did not attend the virtual hearing and had shown no insight or remorse, members of the committee found. Banning Jones, who was in charge of eight or nine patients at Wrexham Maelor at the time of the incidents, the NMC panel said "there was a continuing risk to the public" if she was allowed to carry on nursing.

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The hearing, held remotely, was told that the nurse was anonymously referred to the NMC over alleged failures in patient observations, poor medication practice, record-keeping, and dishonesty, while on shift on January 30, 2022, reported. In a written conclusion, published after the hearing which ran from September 9-12, the NMC said: "On January 30, 2022, Miss Jones was responsible for the care of eight or nine patients. It was noted that the observations she recorded on the patient charts did not match those in the memory of the observation machines which reflected the observations recorded and documented by staff on the previous shift.

"The suggestion was that Miss Jones had not taken observations and instead had falsified the records. It was noted that Miss Jones had moved a call bell out of reach from a patient who had been pressing the bell repeatedly that morning."

Jones faced a number of allegations and while some were found proven others were not and some were discounted because she had not been properly notified about them, as required, before the hearing. In a written statement a witness told the hearing: "I saw Ms Jones leaving Room Six and asked why Patient A did not have their call bell to which Ms Jones responded that she had moved the call bell away from Patient A."

The allegations against Jones found proven were:

• On January 30, 2022, in relation to Patient A, she moved the call bell out of reach.
  
• On January 30, 2022, she did not sign Patient B’s MAR chart for Co-Beneldopa at the time it was due.
  
• On January 30, 2022, she did not administer Longtec to Patient A.
  
• On January 30, 2022, she Inaccurately documented patient records by signing as both first and second checker for the administration of medication.
  
• On January 30, 2022, her actions at charge 1(e) were dishonest in that she intentionally falsified the second checker signature in patient records with the intention that any subsequent reader would believe the signature to be accurate.
  
• On January 30, 2022, she inaccurately documented in patient records that she had completed patient observations when she had not.
  
• On January 30, 2022, her actions at charge 1(g) were dishonest in that she intentionally falsified patient records with the intention that any subsequent reader would believe the records to be accurate.

An allegation that Jones did not administer Intravenous antibiotics to Patient C on January 30, 2022, was found not proven. An allegation that on the same day she failed to administer Clexane injections to patients and a further allegation that she did not carry out patient observations for a number of the patients, also on January 30, 2022, were listed as "fallen away" and discounted.

Publishing its findings the committee said: "By moving the call bell out of reach of patient SG the registrant deprived a vulnerable patient from calling for help or assistance. The registrant's failure to conduct observations and failure to administer medication had the potential to cause a deterioration of health for the patients she had responsibility for.

"Inaccurate record-keeping means other professionals do not have a clear picture of care and medication given. This could mean patients do not receive the correct treatment resulting in a possible decline of their condition or unnecessary pain/suffering. Honesty and integrity are the cornerstones of the nursing profession and the registrant’s course of dishonest conduct is a significant departure from the standards of a registered nurse. The registrant’s conduct and behaviour is such that it amounts to misconduct."

The committee added: "The registrant has not taken any action to demonstrate remorse or insight to allay the concerns that the conduct will not be repeated. The public would be shocked to hear of a registered professional acting dishonestly by falsifying patient records, removing a patient's call bell, not carrying out observations, and failing to administer medication. The public rightly expects nurses to always perform their duties safely, honestly, and behave in a professional manner."