Carer suspended after ‘neglect’ at Newport nursing home

Minel Serbu then took up a position at a home in Northern Ireland and failed to disclose that he had been arrested.

Mr Serbu failed to respond to bail for the first incident, and is understood to have returned to his native Romania and the ruling by the Nursing and Midwifery Council was made in his absence.

He is still wanted by police and if he returns to the UK he will face prosecution for failing to appear.

In a report following the ruling, the council said that Mr Serbu's actions "would undoubtedly bring the profession into disrepute".

Mr Serbu qualified as a nurse in Romania. In early June 2015 he was working as a senior care assistant at Woodcote Hall Care Home in Newport, while waiting for his NMC PIN number to be issued. This is a registration number given to all qualified nurses.

On June 9, 2015, Resident A was found on the floor at the home after a suspected fall. Mr Serbu, assisted by two other health care assistants lifted her up by her arms.

This was against the resident's care plan which said that she should be moved with a hoist after any fall.

Mr Serbu was arrested and interviewed about this matter at Malinsgate Police Station, Telford on June 12. On June 13, 2015, he was bailed to report back to the police station on July 14 to receive a caution relating to an offence of ill treatment or wilful neglect of a vulnerable person.

After receiving his PIN number on June 16, 2015, he began working as a senior care assistant at Carlingford Lodge in Northern Ireland.

On July 14, police called the Lodge and informed an employee of the situation and Mr Serbu was suspended and later dismissed on July 24.

Mr Serbu's bail reporting date was changed but he did not attend to receive his police caution

He later emailed the police on January 20, 2016, stating that he will not be returning to the UK. He sent a further email along similar lines on May 3, 2016.

At the hearing on June 9 of this year, Mr Serbu did not attend or provide any information, but a report into the ruling says: "Mr Serbu has not supplied any information directly to the panel. It does, however, have some information before it, from the police report where he admits he made a mistake and had not read Resident A’s care plan."

It also says: "The panel also has the witness statement of Ms G, the Home Manager at the Lodge. In her witness statements she states 'The first day Minel came to the site, we had along chat. He had ample opportunity to tell me about his arrest, but he never did.'

"'The contracts clearly state that an employee must notify their manager immediately if they have been arrested, questioned by police. Minel signed these contracts.'"

Contracts signed by Mr Serbu on beginning in the role said it was a condition that he notify employers if he had been arrested or questioned by the police.

The panel hearing the case decided to impose a suspension order for the maximum period of 12 months to reflect the seriousness of this case.

The report says: "The panel considered that not informing your employer of an arrest by police, failing to surrender to police bail and leaving the country whilst being wanted by the police, both individually and collectively, are serious departures from the standards of behaviour expected from a registered nurse.

"This behaviour would be considered deplorable by other members of the profession. As such the behaviour is sufficiently serious to amount to misconduct."

The panel heard that notice had been sent to Mr Serbu’s registered address in Bucharest by recorded delivery and had been delivered on May 11 .

Select Healthcare Group, which runs Woodcote Hall Care Home was approached for a comment.