News

Nurse struck off over failure to investigate allegations of mistreatment at nursing home

NURSE has been struck off for failing to investigate allegations of abuse at a Co Antrim nursing home. Katherine McCall did not properly investigate claims that five residents of Cherry Tree House nursing home in Carrickfergus were being mistreated.

Ms McCall did not appear before the Nursing and Midwifery Council disciplinary hearing yesterday where she was also found guilty of bringing the nursing profession into disrepute.

The hearing was told that, in her position as nursing manager at Cherry Tree House, she had been asked to investigate allegations of abuse by one member of staff against eight residents at the end of 2010 and the start of 2011.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council found sufficient evidence that Ms McCall had failed to properly investigate five of those cases. Health minister Edwin Poots ordered the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) to review Cherry Tree House last November.

The health watchdog's scrutiny followed claims made in a BBC programme that a whistleblower had first raised concerns about patient neglect and poor practice at the home in 2005.

The claims were made by a former care assistant and are unrelated to Ms McCall's disciplinary case.