Lancashire nurse struck off after being found with Fentanyl painkilling patches belonging to a home resident

A nurse has been struck off after being found with a care home resident's Fentanyl patches in his car - a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. 

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard that on September 9, 2020, Attila Toth had in his car, a box containing three Fentanyl transdermal patches prescribed to a resident of a home where he worked, and which he was not entitled to have.

These are 14 Lancashire care homes given new CQC ratings in the past month Mr Toth, who worked in the Blackpool area, was originally suspended for 12 months by a Fitness to Practise Committee panel, which is due to expire at the end of February 2, 2024. Now a new hearing has decided a striking-off order will come into effect at the end of February 2, 2024.

Why has Attila Toth been struck off?

The NMC said Mr Toth's actions were dishonest, and his fitness to practise is impaired by virtue of his misconduct. The panel noted that the original panel did not have any challenge to the allegations or points of evidence. The latest panel also noted that Mr Toth "did not provide any reflection that demonstrated his insight into the incident and his conduct, nor did he demonstrate an understanding that his conduct was dishonest or provide any evidence of insight and remorse for his actions on 9 September 2020. "

Mr Toth has not engaged with the NMC since June 2022 and has not provided any information about the steps he has taken to strengthen his nursing practice. However, a report did state that Mr Toth did offer to immediately resign prior to the discovery of the drugs in his car. "Real risk of repetition" The panel decided that there is "a real risk of repetition as Mr Toth remains liable to repeat matters of the kind found proved" and decided that a finding of continuing impairment is necessary on the grounds of public protection. A report added: "In addition, the panel concluded that confidence in the nursing profession would be undermined if a finding of impairment were not made in this case".

The panel found that Mr Toth’s misconduct had breached the fundamental tenets of the nursing profession, namely trust and honesty, and he has therefore brought its reputation into disrepute.