More Mid Staffordshire Hospital fallout.

This report from the BBC News website brings to an end one of the more shocking incidents from the scandal at Mid Staffordshire Hospital.

I would have used a report from The Nursing Times, usually very reliable but not today. Their report wasn’t helpful and a comment made by a reader (a nurse?) afterwards sought to belittle the episode.

For the record neglect is generally very difficult to prove. This pair were guilty of a number of different acts of cruelty – the failure to test or provide insulin just being the easiest to prove;

Nurse struck off for Stafford Hospital deathGillian Astbury Gillian Astbury died at Stafford Hospital in April 2007

A nurse has been struck off after failing to identify a patient who died at Stafford Hospital was diabetic.

Gillian Astbury, 66, died at the hospital in April 2007 after not receiving insulin.

In July, a Nursing and Midwifery Council panel found former Stafford nurses Jeannette Coulson and Ann King guilty of misconduct.

King has been struck off by the panel, while Coulson was given a caution for a period of three years.

During the earlier hearing, King was also found to have lied about having changing patients' dressings and giving them medication, while Coulson admitted swearing at staff.

The panel heard the pair had failed to carry out blood-sugar level tests on Ms Astbury.

She was admitted to Stafford Hospital a week after suffering a stroke on 1 April 2007.

She did not receive insulin for 48 hours, and was discovered collapsed in a bed at 22:30 on 10 April.

 

In a statement, Ms Astbury's daughter Kate Beeson said: "While we are happy that the conclusion of the NMC hearing draws a line under the case, whatever the ruling, nothing can bring my mother back, and nothing can truly reflect the severity of the nurses' negligence.

 

"We have been fighting for justice for several, very tiring years. Since her tragic death, I have been unable to put my mother to rest.

 

"Today's judgment, and all of the effort that has gone into getting to this stage, will be completely in vain if others in a similar position do not step out and make their voices heard.

 

"It is important that those responsible are brought to account and people need to speak up in order to make that happen."

 

In a statement, the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said its thoughts were with Ms Astbury's family and apologised for the "appalling care" she received.

 

It added that both nurses had since left the trust.

The trust is itself facing a prosecution over Ms Astbury's death, brought by the Health and Safety Executive, under the health and safety at work act.

What was important was the creation of a ‘culture’ where this behaviour became acceptable, just as bullying becomes ‘acceptable’ and was probably also present.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home:helpmesortoutthenhs.blogspot.com

With the toe of my size 11, 12 hole, Doc Marten boot.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has met and struck off two Accident and Emergency nurses from Stafford Hospital, part of Mid-Staffs NHS Trust, where so many died, needlessly.

There have been far too few examples of disciplinary action taken and all of them far too late. In the case of Tracy White, she is not only still employed by the hospital – she’s now a manager!

Despite White being struck off as a nurse, Maggie Oldham the current Chief Executive said of her; “She has been employed as a clinical site manager. We will now take time to give careful consideration to the NMC panel’s decision”.

I’d give her some careful consideration – with the toe of my size 11, 12 hole Doc Marten boot.

It’s her co-defendant I really want to Blog about, Sharon Turner;

She was foul-mouthed and abusive about patients, falsified A and E waiting times to make it appear as though A and E had dealt with patients within the 4 hours target, bullied other nurses into falsifying records and was racially abusive towards junior doctors. Here are a few choice quotes;

“I don’t give a flying F@#k about patients, they can wait”

“I’ll make your life hell and get rid of you in 6 months” (to a fellow nurse)

“I’ll drive you to drink and you’ll be out of here” (to another nurse)

“He should have taken a few more pills and done the job properly” (about a nurse who took an overdose)

“she’s a dirty little monkey” (referring to an elderly patient and refusing to assist a nurse change her)

I could go on. The point is that this nasty, viscious, cruel, lazy, racist bully was as much a menace to her co-workers as she was to the patients who were unlucky enough to receive her ‘care’.

Oh and by the way, Sharon Turner, you are very welcome to take my comments up with me, any time you wish.

One bully is a problem, when it’s tolerated and spreads it becomes the culture at work.

The bully picks on the weak – that’s usually the patients but it’s also workmates who are unprotected.

So Turner picked on junior doctors because they have little respect from their fellow doctors.

In particular, she picked on racial minorities because their colleagues were less likely to protect them.

It was tolerated by her fellow nurses (all guilty of not taking action) because of the bullying attitude that senior medical staff and management have towards nurses and care assistants in general.

Can you tell how angry I am?

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutthenhs.blogspot.com