A CARE home nurse and manager who ‘put residents at risk of harm’ was found to have her fitness to practise impaired following a four-day misconduct hearing.

Claire Terri McGregor had her case heard by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in November regarding allegations relating to her work as care manager at Enbridge House Care home between March 2020 and July 2021.

Part of the hearing was heard in private.

The misconduct claims came to light on October 4, 2021, when the NMC received a referral raising concerns from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), identified during an inspection of Enbridge House Care Home, in Woolton Hill, where Mrs McGregor was employed as care manager.

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The CQC inspection found the service at the home was ‘inadequate’ and alleged that Ms McGregor had made a number of clinical errors from March 2020 to July 2021, including inappropriate treatment of pressure ulcers, failing to identify significant weight loss, providing nursing treatment when the home was not registered to do so, and failing to keep accurate and appropriate records.

It also alleged that the nurse failed to make appropriate referrals to external healthcare professionals in relation to various failings at the home, which was the duty of the care manager.

The CQC confirmed the home was not registered to provide nursing care and that Mrs McGregor was not employed at the home in a nursing role.

The NMC found the allegations against Mrs McGregor proved by admission.

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However, it found some of the charges did not amount to misconduct. 

This included taking blood samples and providing injections, which the NMC panel said did not amount to misconduct because of the “exceptional circumstances at the time, as there was a global pandemic”.

A report published by the NMC said: “In light of the above, your fitness to practice is impaired by reason of your misconduct.”

Aoife Kennedy, a representative for the NMC, said: “The misconduct in this case relates to serious and wide-ranging issues within the home when Mrs McGregor was care manager, including failure to escalate concerns to the relevant healthcare professionals and failure to keep clear and accurate records.”

She added: “The role of nurses is to protect and care for those vulnerable and in need of care. It is submitted that Mrs McGregor’s conduct clearly failed that duty. It fell far short of what is expected of a registered nurse and is sufficiently serious to constitute misconduct.”

Ms Kennedy said the nurse’s failures “clearly put residents at the home at unwarranted risk of harm” and her conduct had “brought the nursing profession into disrepute”.

Representing Mrs McGregor, Phillip Vollans, said: “The registrant has candidly accepted the opinions held, and concerns raised by third parties, and as such accepts that the conduct fell short of that which would be proper in the circumstances.

"As such it is accepted that misconduct is accepted in the circumstances in that there was unacceptable standard of professional performance at the time.”

He said Mrs McGregor remains a qualified nurse and has complied with all mandatory training.

The NMC found that residents were “put at risk, and some were caused physical harm” because of the misconduct. It gave a finding of impairment “on the grounds of public protection”.

However, it added: "The panel found that you are a caring nurse who was able to demonstrate effective practice. The panel further noted that the failings identified are remediable.

"The panel found that you showed genuine remorse about your actions and that you had developed a degree of insight into your failings."

It issued a ‘conditions of practice order’ for 12 months with a review which will be shown on the NMC register.