Nurse hits out at disciplinary delay

Patrick Wilson-Canning (pictured), of Grange Court Drive, wants to clear his name following a death at the St Leonards care home where he was working as deputy manager in December 2005.

He says although he worked as a nurse for 35 years, he has been unable to do so since following allegations of misconduct which he has to date had no chance to answer.

The Nursing Midwifery Council has so far failed to give him a hearing and Patrick says he has suffered trauma and clinical depression due to the “unfairness” of being made a scapegoat.

He said he was working in the kitchen at Southdowns care home the day of the tragedy because the chefs had not come in.

When an alarm bell rang he went upstairs with another member of staff and found the elderly man sitting in a chair already apparently dead. Patrick said he checked for signs of life while his colleague rang emergency services and was then asked if he had carried out CPR. He said he had not because the patient was dead and was then told to do it. He claimed he followed basic first aid procedure until the ambulance arrived and the paramedics discovered two halves of sausage lodged in the deceased’s throat.

Both Patrick and his colleague were arrested but Sussex Police made no charge against them.

Patrick left Southdowns, on The Green, two months later and claims he was then unable to take another job in nursing because it said in his reference he might be guilty of manslaughter. Southdowns also reported him to the NMC for professional misconduct.

An inquest in Hastings returned a verdict of accidental death caused by neglect. The coroner found no one person was responsible for what happened but that the home failed to implement effective management procedures and that there had been a failure to administer immediate first aid.

Patrick, who is married and has a teenage son, has earned a living since in security but says he has never recovered from the stress caused by what happened and his family has been put through “hell”.

He was told three times a hearing would take place and the latest now is for October 31 – November 7.

MP Greg Barker and Prime Minister David Cameron have approached the NMC urging for the matter to be dealt with - to no effect so far.

Wife Julie said: “It seems unfair its been allowed to drag on for such a long time.”

Patrick commented: “I want to move on. I had 35 years in nursing, then was just dumped and isolated.

“I still feel depressed and I feel quite hurt. I felt at the time I was a scapegoat, and I was not given my rights. For a hearing not to take place in so long is not fair to anyone. ”

An NMC spokesman said the delay in holding the hearing was “the exception, not the rule” and added: “We are doing everything we possibly can to get this scheduled.”

Southdowns was approached for a comment but none was forthcoming.