nurses convicted of sedating elderly patients for a quiet shift!

Posted the last comment before I'd really finished. I was going to add that this latest case has triggered a lot of very distressing memories. I've read about it, but wonder whether I should. It's difficult to ignore though.

When my mother had severe dementia, we were phoned by a nurse to be told that she was "catatonic" and her eyes were "fixed and dilated." She was taken from her secure unit to A&E by ambulance. When we arrived we were told that in the opinion of the A&E staff she had been "over-sedated." She never really recovered from that and remained alternately catatonic or severely distressed for the rest of her life. Fortunately, thanks to the help of a wonderful Mental Health Nurse, we found a wonderful Nursing Home which cared for her lovingly until her death. I've often wondered and also often berate myself for not taking things further, but in the shock of a late night rush to A&E and expecting to find my mother had died, I never did. The staff in that secure unit often 'complained' that my mother was very difficult and, yes, she was violent, but still ...

nanna8 they will be in jail for a lot more than a couple of years!.........
"They knew the risks but they simply didn't care. Catherine Hudson said if any of the patients come to any harm, not to worry, because there'll be no post-mortem, no investigation and in essence nobody would ever know. She and others joked about taking these secrets with them to the grave."

Earlier this year I was in hospital for 3 weeks, and part of that was in a small ward with at least 3 elderly women who clearly had some degree of dementia - one was pretty bad.

I have to say I saw nothing but very kind care for all of them. One of them needed a one-to-one with her for much of the time, or she’d wander off/try to interfere with other patients’ things.

However one of them was still with-it enough to call to me in a very imperious voice, that she had to ask me to leave! - She hadn’t invited me and wasn’t expecting me!

At least it gave me a good (silent) laugh.

I hope they make an example of these two and remove their nursing registrations and put them in jail for a couple of years. That might make others think twice before doing similar. Having said this, most nurses I know are very dedicated and caring and work long,long hours.

I'm glad his care was so good.
It makes such a difference and, after all, nursing is supposed to be a caring profession

lemsip, no it’s unfair to say my husband’s care was because his family were there. I’m talking about the culture on the ward. The doctors and nurses , with rare exceptions, were patient focussed. There were a number of men on his first ward, who were ‘difficult’ and staff responded appropriately.

I agree Callistemon, hospitals aren’t ideal for end of life care. We spent a lot of time discussing our wish to bring him home. The reality - he needed nursing care that couldn’t be provided at home. Additionally, he was considered too unstable to move. They feared he might die in the ambulance. So we stayed.

Disgusting but somehow not surprising nowadays. Well done to the student nurse who blew the whistle.
There are so many vulnerable people on the wards & this evil pair knew just who to target to get away with it. Hope they both get long hard sentences, not a caring bone in their bodies by the look & sounds of it.

lemsip

Iam64 that's because he had family around him that he had excellent care.
IT's the patients with no one around that are abused, drugged ect!

Hospitals are not generally the best places for end of life care.

Iam64 that's because he had family around him that he had excellent care.
IT's the patients with no one around that are abused, drugged ect!

Primrose53

Vile women and they should get heavy sentences. My friend has just retired as an NHS dentist working in hospitals and her own practice. We were discussing the Lucy Letby case as her daughter had her babies in the same hospital just after Letby was arrested.

I was a bit careful with what I said because I didn’t know how she felt about other NHS staff but she said “Having spent all my working life in the NHS I think too many people still see nurses as “angels”. I have worked in hospitals where I have come across some of the most dreadful nurses who really should not be working with people in any capacity because they do not have a caring bone in their body.”

retired NHS clinician and manager here....not in nursing. Oh how I agree!

My husband was in a small side ward with me and our daughters this time a year ago, end of life care, day 3. He had been on our specialist stroke ward six days by then, after three strokes in three days, the third catastrophic
The care he was given was superb. The doctors and nurses excellent (with two brief/in passing exceptions)
Right to his final breaths, his identified nurse and the ancillary staff were talking to him, explaining any interventions tenderly but clearly
The care extended to him loved ones. I remain for ever thankful and impressed by the care on what was a very busy ward

So do I JaneJudge I imagine there will be a whole culture of disrespect and cruelty. As a retired nurse and care home manager it makes me so sad and angry to hear about these incidents.

I agree that it wont be just these two nurses

Just the tip of the iceberg I should think. Geriatric and/or stroke care might well attract the lazy ones.

A former neighbour did night shifts on a geriatric ward. She said she preferred it as 'They don't know what's going on, do they? It's easy work.'

The staff would take turns (when officially on duty) to go and have a sleep as 'We only need one on the ward, that's all, just in case there's an emergency.' Obviously, then, there was no care at night at all, just somebody keeping an eye on them (we hope).

I think I'd prefer to be sedated under those conditions!

As in all professions there are lazy or downright evil people.
This has been found in the Police, in Politics and many other areas.
These people just taint all their colleagues most of whom work hard and do their best.

What has happened to ward managers/sisters? I thought there was oversight of nurses ?

I knew a nurse who did some private work on the side, looking after people in their own homes. She was stealing from those with dementia ( not the ones who were in their right minds) and she was caught. It was reckoned that £20,000 worth of jewellery and high value items were stolen - and that was what could definitely be accounted for. So safe to say
a lot more was taken . She did go to prison for 2 years and struck off the register.
Absolutely despicable and you would never have thought it she seemed so nice. She spent the money on holidays and cars.

I hope they both serve a prison sentance. Stroke patients are vunerable and helpless and they wanted to sedate them so they had a easy shift.
Like alot of others on here I don't think all nurses are Angels, some are horrible, lazy,and uncaring, however we must remember they are a minority, most I have found professional.
The texts were disgusting and these nurses are nasty individuals. I hope they are punished severely.

I thought it was just me who thought that not all nurses are hard-working angels.

After spending several weeks visiting a relative in the hospital I witnessed many lazy nurses who would be at the station gossiping whilst ignoring patients who wanted assistance, health care assistants would limit drinks as they said it would be them that had to toilet people or change pads, and some nurses although did their job did it without kindness.

There were many nurses who went above and beyond during Covid but there were others working in hospitals that did not take Covid patients and were doing not much else but still got the same recognition.

This doesn’t surprise me at all and I too have a job to hold my tongue when nurses are all seen as wonderful. Haveing had both my parents in hospitals in the geriatric wards from time to time I felt some of these angels could do with being a bit more active . Lots of time spent at the nurses station chatting and because old people don’t want to ask for anything because they don’t want to be a nuisance this encourages the lazy ones.

I can’t believe that this was confined to the individuals who were convicted. This sort of behaviour is likely to be part of a culture. I very much doubt that it is confined to this hospital or the NHS - it has I believe been found to have happened in care homes.

I know a psychiatric nurse who is evil. I’m sure that’s why he went into that particular field.
I know a woman who has been steeling from Guys hospital for years.

These two dreadful individuals should get lengthy prison sentences. The police are looking into deaths on their ward.
The whatsap messages condemn them despite them saying it was only dark humour or banter

What about the culture on the ward? I find it impossible to believe they only made disgusting comments on whatsap.

Primrose53

Vile women and they should get heavy sentences. My friend has just retired as an NHS dentist working in hospitals and her own practice. We were discussing the Lucy Letby case as her daughter had her babies in the same hospital just after Letby was arrested.

I was a bit careful with what I said because I didn’t know how she felt about other NHS staff but she said “Having spent all my working life in the NHS I think too many people still see nurses as “angels”. I have worked in hospitals where I have come across some of the most dreadful nurses who really should not be working with people in any capacity because they do not have a caring bone in their body.”

I agree, and if you ever express an opinion that perhaps not all nurses are caring and wonderful......heaven help you.