Why was nurse Dorothy Onwuteaka struck off the register?

Dorothy Onwuteaka was struck off due to repeated and wide-ranging failures in patient care, including falling asleep on duty, medication errors, and an inability to escalate critical patient needs.

What were the main patient care failures by Dorothy Onwuteaka?

Key failures included falling asleep during shifts, errors in administering medication, delayed or missed patient observations, and not recognizing when patient care required escalation.

Has Dorothy Onwuteaka shown any improvement since her suspension?

No, the Nursing and Midwifery Council panel found that Dorothy Onwuteaka had shown no improvement and remained a high risk to the public since her initial suspension in February 2023.

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Nurse Struck Off for Falling Asleep on Duty

8 Feb

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Summary

Nurse Dorothy Onwuteaka was struck off for repeated patient care failures.
Failures included falling asleep, medication errors, and missed observations.
She showed no improvement and remained a high risk to the public.

Nurse Struck Off for Falling Asleep on Duty

Dorothy Onwuteaka, a nurse from Bournemouth, has been removed from the nursing register following a finding of repeated and extensive failures in patient care. These serious lapses occurred between 2019, the year she qualified, and 2021.

The specific failings included falling asleep during a shift, errors related to medication administration, and delays or omissions in patient observations. Furthermore, she was unable to recognise critical situations requiring immediate escalation of patient care.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel reviewed her case, noting a lack of engagement with the regulator since March 2025. The panel found no evidence of training or reflection since her initial suspension in February 2023, which had been extended three times.