'˜Remorseless' dementia home nurse struck off

A care home worker has been struck off for trapping pensioners in a lounge with a chair and keeping them there for nearly four hours.
Headroomgate Nursing Home in St Annes. Picture from Google mapsHeadroomgate Nursing Home in St Annes. Picture from Google maps
Headroomgate Nursing Home in St Annes. Picture from Google maps

Nurse Suzanne Whatmough placed a chair between the hallway and lounge area at Headroomgate Care Home, Oxford Road, St Annes, where she worked, and said it was to ‘stop residents from leaving the lounge’ at around 12.30pm on November 8 2015.

They were unable to leave the lounge until at least 4pm.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council had previously handed down a suspension order of nine months for her actions. She has now been struck off following a further hearing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A spokesman for Headroomgate Care Home said: “The moment we heard about this incident Suzanne was dismissed and we reported it straight away to the NMC. We acted in the best interest of residents at the time, because this was a serious breach of safeguarding.”

The panel heard that Mrs Whatmough had not engaged with the Nursing and Midwifery Council since May last year.

Attempts had been made to contact Mrs Whatmough by telephone. One call appeared to be answered before being cancelled. Otherwise, they received no response.

A report said: “The panel noted the previous panel’s recommendation that it would be in Mrs Whatmough’s best interest to demonstrate insight, remorse and remediation in relation to the misconduct... Mrs Whatmough has not provided this information.

“(The panel) concluded that the only sanction that would adequately protect the public and serve the public interest was a striking-off order.”