Hospice Nurse Struck Off for Cruel Bets and Errors

Naomi Butcher, a 60-year-old hospice nurse from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, has been removed from the nursing register following a Fitness to Practise Committee Hearing. The committee found her fitness to practise was impaired due to serious misconduct.

While employed at St Peter and St James Hospice, Butcher made a bet with colleagues regarding a patient's death on Christmas Day. In a separate incident three months later, she denied a Traveller family permission to see their deceased loved one, making discriminatory remarks about their community.

Her misconduct extended to severe clinical errors, including administering ten times the prescribed dose of Midazolam to a patient, thereby risking their life. She then falsely documented the correct dosage, obstructing any timely intervention. Additionally, she administered the wrong medication to another patient and failed to administer some medications as required.