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Rainbows hospice nurse struck off

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A hospice nurse who allowed a child to suffer a night of fits when she forgot to give him his medication has been been struck off. The boy suffered a 'horrendous' ordeal and was awake for most of the night after Heather Newcombe's mistake at the Rainbows Hospice, in Loughborough, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard. Newcombe, who was the nurse in charge of the shift, later forged a signature to claim that she had given the drugs, the council was told. She also shouted foul-mouthed abuse at a colleague in front of children during a meal-time. NMC chairman John Haines said: "We have taken the view that misconduct arose from attitudinal problems rather than a lack of knowledge. "She was an experienced nurse and she should have known not to depart from the standards of a registered nurse. "The panel was concerned that a risk of harm remains to patients. "She had breached fundamental principles of the profession.' "Though forgetting to give the medication was a mistake, the cover up that followed was premeditated. "Newcombe breached honesty and trustworthiness which are key to the nursing profession and has become fundamentally incapable of being a registered nurse." The nurse was in charge on the night shift of April 16, 2011, at the Rainbow Hospice that treats children with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. Aja Hall for the NMC, said on the night in question, the child had a horrendous night's sleep and did not sleep well at all and despite every intervention he could still not sleep, 'There is a direct link between not giving that medication and the suffering that night.' While working on a late shift, Newcombe was giving the children the same food as they had eaten on two or three occasions recently. When a colleague challenged her Newcombe swore in her reply to the person. Newcombe admitted verbally abusing a colleague, failing to administer medication, claiming that she had administered the medication when she had not done so, forging a signature claiming she had administered the medication, falsifying initials on the child's medication chart in relation to the checking of the medication, and that her actions were dishonest. She disputed that her fitness to practice was impaired but the panel found that element proved by reason of her misconduct. The panel found Newcombe to be guilty of all charges of misconduct and impaired to continue practising and issued her with a striking off order. Newcombe was sacked at a disciplinary hearing on the 3 May 2011. Ms Hall added: 'Newcombe is not currently working and has allowed her registration to lapse. 'This is dishonesty and is nonetheless still serious.' There was no defence put up on Newcombe's behalf as she did not attend.

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