AN EXPERIENCED former mental health nurse with NHS Ayrshire and Arran has been found to have breached fundamental tenets of the medical profession after lying about visiting a high-risk patient who later took her own life.

Carol Young, now living in Anglesey and currently employed by a nursing home near the Welsh island, has been registered as a mental health nurse since 1989 and as a lecturer since 2006.

Recent misconduct hearings - which began in September and concluded at the end of April - found that her actions whilst caring for a patient on Arran had "amounted to numerous breaches of fundamental nursing standards such as honesty, integrity and candour".

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said the case had served as a "sharp reminder" to Ms Young of the standards expected of a registered nurse, after she was spared being suspended or struck off - with a caution order for five years imposed instead.

Ms Young commenced employment as a mental health health nurse with NHS Ayrshire and Arran in 2009 and became involved in the provision of care for a woman - referred to as Patient A - in 2013. The last documented contact the nurse had with the patient was in February 2016 and just nine months later the woman had taken her own life.

Patient A had abruptly stopped taking lithium in August 2016 and Ms Young was judged to have failed to provide appropriate care by not carrying out a risk assessment or conducting any home visits in the months before her death.

She also stated incorrectly to a review panel that she had visited the patient twice that summer - in June and September 2016 - and as a result, had dishonestly attempted to mislead the panel.

A report detailing the outcome of the fitness to practise hearings said: "Not to visit a high risk patient for eight months, when you were aware of the patient’s history and were aware that there was an agreement for three-monthly visits in place, was a significant departure from the standards expected.

"Further, the panel considered that not to conduct a review or risk assessment upon becoming aware that Patient A had stopped taking lithium exacerbated the seriousness of the misconduct in this case."

The NMC report added: "The panel found that your actions placed Patient A at risk of harm.

"The panel considered that you did not adhere to the standards expected of a nurse and therefore that your behaviour brought the profession into disrepute.

"Further, members of the public would not expect an experienced nurse to fail to visit a high-risk patient for eight months and then make dishonest representations about having done so."

Ms Young also failed to provide appropriate care to a second patient, known as patient Y, by not booking a follow-up appointment for them after cancelling an appointment in December 2016 - an act considered by the panel as a "genuine mistake" and one which did not constitute serious misconduct.

A charge of failing to notify the health board that Patient Y was an at-risk patient requiring follow-up was found not proved, but Ms Young also failed to adequately document an initial assessment in the patient's records.

A finding of impairment was deemed necessary on public interest grounds as Ms Young's misconduct "involved multiple breaches of fundamental tenets of the profession".

However, the panel stated that her dishonest misconduct was "capable of remediation".

The panel said it was "satisfied that you recognise that your practice fell below the standards expected and that you have taken significant steps to strengthen your practice in the last five years".

"The panel could not identify any public safety risks so as to warrant a finding of impairment on public protection grounds," it concluded.

Legal representative Christopher Geering argued that Young's dishonesty was "an isolated and panicked response" and did not require a suspension order.

She was said to have demonstrated good insight and remorse to Patient A's family and had apologised to them.

Ms Young had been a nurse for 35 years and, before moving to Arran, had worked on the wards.

The report said: "Further, you have worked autonomously in the past as a community mental health nurse, have worked as a care home manager and have lectured at a university.

"Mr Geering submitted that in that time, you garnered nothing but praise and he drew the panel’s attention to your remediation bundle which contains positive testimonials.

"He submitted that you have never before failed a patient in your care, or fallen from the standards of integrity and honesty that you set yourself."