Home / Crime and Justice / Nurse struck off for drug use with vulnerable patient
Nurse struck off for drug use with vulnerable patient
20 Jan
Summary
- Nurse was struck off for consuming illicit substances with a patient.
- The patient was described as a very vulnerable mental health service user.
- The nurse admitted to taking cannabis and ecstasy on multiple occasions.
A nurse, identified as Anderson, has been removed from the nursing register following serious professional misconduct. Anderson consumed illicit substances, including cannabis and ecstasy, with a highly vulnerable mental health patient, referred to as Patient A, on multiple occasions. This behavior was found to be fundamentally incompatible with her role as a nurse.
The fitness to practise committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) concluded that Anderson seriously breached professional standards. The report highlighted that her actions, involving drug use with a vulnerable service user, directly contravened the caring nature of the nursing profession.
Anderson initially denied the allegations but later admitted to taking drugs with Patient A in the community. Despite an otherwise unblemished career, the committee determined that her conduct necessitated striking off from the profession, with an interim suspension order in place for 18 months to cover any appeal period.
