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This article was published on January 29th, 2014
A retired senior nurse for the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, Janice Harry, has agreed to be struck off the nursing register which will prevent her from working as a nurse in the UK.
She was the former chief nurse at the centre of the allegations into substandard care at the Mid Staffordshire Hospital back in 2009 and bore the brunt of accusations of bullying and failing in her duty to provide sufficient standards in nursing care in A&E.
Her position was to ensure there were sufficient staffing levels on wards to enable quality care was given at all levels to very sick and often vulnerable people. This she failed to do despite repeated warnings from her staff on the ground and has been accused of an aggressive management style which intimidated staff to the point where they felt bullied and unable to be vocal about their concerns.
The NMC, Nursing and Midwifery Council was informed of numerous failings in basic care as a result of the chief nurses decision to make savage cuts to staffing levels leaving patients health at risk. The panel also found her departments had insufficient methods for administering medication, nutrition and fluids, poor standards in hygiene and cleanliness, patient dignity and record keeping.
William Davis, who presided over the hearing said there was an ‘unacceptable decline in the standards of nursing care offered’ and whilst Harry was ‘not directly responsible for the provision of care… she did have corporate responsibility for determining and monitoring the standards of care provided by nursing staff at the hospital. ‘She wholly failed to ensure appropriate staffing levels, and the correct skill mix’, he said.
‘The case raised important issues about the responsibility of nurses who hold senior management positions and their duty to ensure the protection of the public.’
Since February 2013, a reported 55 nurses and midwives from the disgraced Hospital in Stafford have been referred to the NMC over accusations of misconduct.
If you think you have been a victim of hospital negligence or know someone who has then call our specialist solicitors today on 0800 1979 345 to have an informal chat about your potential claim.
