North Ayrshire nurse suspended after 'failings and lies'

Anne Woods was suspended for six months by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after a panel found she had failed to undertake key work with young patients, and had not been truthful about what she had and had not done.

Woods was working with the North Ayrshire health and social care partnership’s child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) at the time.

The NMC’s fitness to practise committee concluded that Woods had failed to tell the truth to the parents of two young patients, and to her employer, and that she had failed to offer support to the mother of a third patient when she said she was struggling to cope.

Woods admitted three of the allegations against her, while the committee found eight other ‘facts proved’ in relation to Woods’ misconduct between August 2018 and February 2019.

A report of the committee’s hearing, held from April 15-25 and again from April 29 to May 1, reveals that Woods failed to submit ‘request for assistance’ paperwork to social workers for one young person, referred to in the report as ‘Patient F’ – and that she then falsely told Patient F’s mother that she had made the referral.

The panel also concluded that Woods had told the same patient’s mother that she had not heard from the DWP, when in fact she had spoken to them only a week earlier – something Woods later claimed was “a mistake, not a lie”.

Woods admitted making no notes, in Patient F’s ‘care partner records’, of conversations she’d had with the patient’s mother and with the DWP in January 2019.

She also confessed to failing to update Patient F’s care partner records until February 5, 2019 – having been told to update them by December 12 of the previous year.

The panel also found that Woods had failed to ensure a medication review was carried out on a second patient, Patient A, after their mother told Woods that medication was not being given consistently and then, more than two months later, that Patient A had stopped taking their medication altogether.

Woods admitted making no record of conversations she had with two colleagues about Patient A’s medication.

The hearing was told that despite a detailed plan being in place to support Patient A, there was no information of this being carried forward into a review.

The panel also concluded that Woods had failed to inform social workers or provide support when the parent of a third patient, Patient D, told her she was not coping and that Patient D was being disobedient and hitting other children.

Woods said in her oral evidence that she thought the comments made by patient D’s mother were “throw away remarks” and that if she’d had any real concerns she would have contacted social work.

But a doctor following Patient D’s notes said they had concerns about Woods’ decision-making, and said she should have escalated the parent’s concerns.

The disciplinary hearing also concluded that Woods had put a fourth patient, Patient E, on the list for a colleague’s clinic for a medication review relating to ADHD – when the young person had been diagnosed not with ADHD, but with depression.

Giving evidence to the panel another doctor stated: “Patient E does not have ADHD, is not on medication, is depressed with a lot of anger and outbursts.

“[Woods] then put him into a drop-in ADHD slot – which was completely inappropriate.”

Woods told the panel that the clinic in question was for patients with various conditions, including panic attacks, ADHD and depression, but the panel decided that it preferred the evidence of the doctor, who was “very clear” the clinic was for ADHD medication reviews.

The panel also decided Woods had failed to give an accurate account of a meeting with the mother of Patients A and F at an internal meeting with her employer, by claiming the mother had not asked if Woods had spoken to the DWP.

It further decided that Woods had falsely told a colleague that she had “mixed up Patient A and Patient F” when answering questions from the DWP.

The panel decided that Woods’ actions were dishonest and that her fitness to practise had been impaired because of her misconduct.

The disciplinary panel concluded: "Woods was working with people that were particularly vulnerable due to their age. The impact of poor care could have significant repercussions on their development and subsequently the rest of their lives.

"For example, in regards to charge four, disclosures were made by patient D's mother about not coping and the child being disobedient.

"There were so many repercussions that could flow from no action in this regard, such as the child being subject to neglect or mistreatment, or the mother having a breakdown.

"Similarly, in regards to Woods booking patient E into the 10-minute ADHD clinic, in circumstances where we have heard that that child had depression and not ADHD, and that such a condition requires robust and active treatment.

"A delay in treatment just through the action of taking them to the wrong clinic could have significant impact going forward."

Before deciding to impose a sanction, the panel was asked to consider that Woods, who qualified as a registered mental health nurse in 2007, "has been apologetic”.

The panel’s report said its members were not aware of any other concerns about her conduct.

But they said: “Patients were put at risk as a result of Mrs Woods’ misconduct.

“Mrs Woods’ misconduct breached the fundamental tenets of the nursing profession and therefore brought its reputation into disrepute.

"The panel has considered this case very carefully and has decided to make a suspension order for a period of six months."

The report also reveals that Woods has now retired from nursing and “has no intention of returning”.

Caroline Cameron, director of the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership commented: "NHS Ayrshire and Arran is committed to delivering safe, high quality patient care, and we have robust systems in place to ensure this.

"When we become aware of practice issues we take appropriate action and advise the NMC.

"The individual no longer works for NHS Ayrshire and Arran/North Ayrshire HSCP."