Home / Crime and Justice / Nurse Struck Off for 'Thrashing' Autistic Patient Remarks
Nurse Struck Off for 'Thrashing' Autistic Patient Remarks
23 Jun
Summary
- Senior nurse Emma Doherty made abusive comments about an autistic patient.
- Doherty was heard suggesting the vulnerable patient needed a 'thrashing'.
- She was struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
A senior nurse, Emma Doherty, has been struck off the UK nursing register following serious misconduct. Doherty, who was a deputy ward manager at the Edenfield Centre, part of Prestwich Hospital, was heard on covert recordings suggesting an autistic patient required "a good thrashing" and should be imprisoned.
The footage, aired by BBC Panorama, led to Doherty's dismissal by the Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) NHS Foundation Trust in October 2022. She later admitted to a raft of misconduct charges when referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
An independent disciplinary panel noted Doherty showed remorse but failed to adequately challenge a "toxic culture" within the unit. The panel deemed her language unacceptable and unjustifiable, particularly the comment about violence towards a vulnerable patient. The ruling means Doherty can no longer practice as a nurse in the UK.
The Panorama documentary had previously exposed broader issues at the Edenfield Centre, including inappropriate restraint and patient isolation. The unit has since been re-branded as the Riverside Centre, and a police investigation was launched based on the findings.
