Gainsborough care home nurse struck off after patient dies

A Lincolnshire nurse who administered 10 times the prescribed morphine dose to a patient who later died has been struck off.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was told Nicola Sharp was working at Howson Care Centre in Gainsborough at the time of the incident.

A hearing last month heard how, after the patient’s death, Ms Sharp took up a job at another care home where she gave an incorrect insulin dose to a patient.

Ms Sharp was struck off by the NMC.

The NMC hearing, which took place between 16 and 19 October, heard Ms Sharp had been looking after a patient, referred to as Patient A, who had been receiving palliative care.

Patient A had been prescribed 2.5mg-5mg of morphine for pain relief but on 19 October 2019, Ms Sharp administered 2.5mls instead – up to 10 times the prescribed dose.

The report by the NMC stated that Patient A died shortly after.

Ms Sharp was also accused of failing to record the administration and the reason for administering the morphine in Patient A’s care notes.

She was suspended from working at the home and Lincolnshire Police launched an investigation, resulting in Ms Sharp’s arrest.

During the investigation, Ms Sharp made “partial admissions” in relation to Patient A, the panel was told.

However, the force dropped the case in March 2020, stating there had been no realistic prospect of her conviction.

The NMC report said an inquest in April 2021 heard Patient A’s medical cause of death was found to be “effects of morphine” with the coroner ruling the death was “misadventure”.

The panel heard Ms Sharp left Howson Care Centre and took up a role at Drovers Call Care Home, also in Gainsborough, in August 2020.

Ms Sharp is said to have left that job in March 2023 after giving a care home resident – Patient B – 19 units of insulin instead of the prescribed four.

Ms Sharp admitted the error in a supervision meeting held after the incident.

In its findings, the NMC found the allegations against Ms Sharp in relation to Patient A and B proven and said her actions had amounted to misconduct.

The panel was of the view that Ms Sharp “had not demonstrated any insight or remorse” and concluded her fitness to practise was “currently impaired”.

An interim suspension order was put in place to give Ms Sharp the chance to appeal.

If she does not, then the suspension order will be replaced by a striking-off order.

Ms Sharp did not attend the NMC hearing.

In an email shown to the panel, she stated that she was “away on holiday” and had requested “no further contact” from the NMC which had “taken me to hell and back over the last four years”.

A spokesperson for Knights Care Ltd, which runs Drovers Call Care Home, said the company had not been made aware of the incident in October 2019 before recruiting Ms Sharp.

The spokesperson confirmed Ms Sharp was dismissed following “a medication error in March 2023”.

Howson Care Centre has also been approached for comment.