We Gave Out Wrong Drugs, Nurses Admit

By Alison Dayani

TWO nurses at a Birmingham care home where 27 residents died in a year today admitted giving patients the wrong drugs.

Kathleen Smith, 46, from Shirley, former nursing manager of Maypole Nursing Home, in Kings Heath, admitted charges of not administering drugs correctly at a Nursing Council hearing.

But during today’s Birmingham hearing she denied a catalogue of other accusations ranging from not recording deaths to allowing residents to be inappropriately restrained, and not supervising staff.

Fellow-nurse Mary Kathleen Casey, 70, of Harborne, also admitted administering medication wrongly to patients on two occasions and keeping an elderly resident restrained in a bucket chair.

But Casey denied making staff get patients up and dressed at inappropriately early times.

A third nurse facing the disciplinary hearing, Carol Estelle Bushell, did not attend due to a prior appointment.

The 48-year-old from West Heath faces charges including giving drugs to the wrong patient, failing to provide adequate care plans and giving a patient a mince pie which was forbidden in her care plan.

All three nurses face being struck off the nursing register if the claims are proved against them.

Maypole Nursing Home was shut down by inspectors in 2003 and the GPs who owned it, Dr Jamalapuram Hari Gopal and his wife Dr Praturi Sanrajya Lakshmi, were struck off by the General Medical Council.

(Proceeding)

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