Suspension for Shropshire nurse who altered notes of a teenage boy who died
A hospital nurse has been suspended for six months for changing the medical notes of a teenage boy who died after a fall.
The 15-year-old, from Welshampton, suffered a fractured femur which led to a condition that ultimately caused his death.
Ms Hughes – a nurse at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital – appeared before the council in London, where seven charges were proved.
The council heard that on April 30, 2015 she did not record the baseline observations on the admission sheet of Charlie's notes, and she did not adequately review observations carried out by a student nurse, and therefore did not observe the patient's oxygen saturation level was 87 per cent. On or around May 5, 2015, Ms Hughes altered notes on Charlie's observation chart, which showed 87 per cent oxygen saturation, to 97 per cent.
Bev Tabernacle, director of nursing at the hospital, said: "The coroner made clear that Charlie's death could not be avoided, however that does not excuse the conduct of this member of staff, which fell well below the standards we expect. This was a serious error of judgement."
