By Maura Bowman

A DUNDEE NURSE has been struck off for neglecting elderly people in her care in a city home.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s conduct and competence committee found Katherine Gray (52) guilty of 10 charges relating to her time at Forebank Care Home between July 2002 and June 2003.

The committee said her actions demonstrated fundamental failures in nursing practice and had affected the health and well-being of seven vulnerable patients.

Gray, who was deputy manager at the home, had faced a catalogue of charges at a hearing in Edinburgh, which sat for nine days over five months.

The committee heard Gray had left leg ulcers untreated, ignored patients’ symptoms and failed to ensure life-saving drugs were available at all times.

Witness Heather Alison, who was joint deputy manager at the home at the time, said Gray’s responsibilities included drug ordering and audits.

However, on more than one occasion, drugs were out of stock.

Ms Alison told the hearing concerns had been raised by other members of staff and by residents’ relatives, and she eventually decided to complain about Gray’s conduct.

Ordering Gray to be removed from the register, the committee, headed by chairwoman Moi Ali told her, “It is easy for a nurse who is removed from the Register to conclude that we have deemed her to be a bad person, but let us reassure you that this is not the case.

“We are not here to punish nurses. Our only interest is in public protection.”

Pointing out Gray’s actions had “resulted in direct harm to patients,” the committee said it had taken into account her previous good history, her acceptable references, the training she has undertaken in the meantime and the stressful nature of the NMC proceedings.

“However, we cannot overlook our public protection role,” the committee added.

“Your actions affected the health and well-being of seven vulnerable patients, they were not isolated incidents and they demonstrated fundamental failures in your nursing practice.

“You departed from the NMC’s Code of Professional Conduct on numerous occasions and this causes us great concern.”

Forebank Nursing Home is now owned by Four Seasons Healthcare Ltd.

A spokesperson for the home yesterday described the allegations against Gray as “historical” and said they do not reflect the high standards of care offered at Forebank.