Care Home Nurse Struck Off For Poor Treatment Of Residents, UK

Main Category: Caregivers / Homecare
Also Included In: Medical Malpractice / Litigation
Article Date: 10 Oct 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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A Glasgow care home nurse has been struck off the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) register following a 3 day professional hearing held in Glasgow.

Jose-Serge Tulwa, a 64 year old registered adult nurse from Fullerton was charged with numerous allegations of treating residents in an aggressive and inappropriate manner while working at the Haydale Care Home, Tollcross in 2004.

On making their decision to strike Mr Tulwa's name from the register, the independent panel of the NMC's Conduct and Competence Committee heard evidence which proved that he knowingly fed two patients in a manner contrary to their individual requirements, pushed one of those patients forcefully onto the toilet; shouted at them and grabbed and squeezed their hand hard enough to cause the skin to redden. He also assisted a third resident to stand in an inappropriate manner which caused the resident distress and forced them to walk at an excessive speed on two occasions.

Commenting on the panel's decision, NMC spokesperson Leila Harris-Ryberg said: "Mr Tulwa's treatment of these particularly vulnerable residents was unacceptable and fell far short of the behaviour expected from someone in the nursing profession. His conduct put people at risk of harm and he failed to ensure the dignity and interests of the people in his care. Mr Tulwa is accountable for his actions and omissions and is expected to uphold his responsibilities as a professional which are in his Code of Conduct. In order to maintain the good reputation of the profession and public confidence in the NMC, the panel agreed that to strike him off the register was the only appropriate sanction."

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. To be eligible to work as a nurse or midwife in the UK, they must be registered with the NMC. There are currently more than 674,000 nurses and midwives on the register. The primary purpose of the NMC is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses and midwives to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct.

Nursing & Midwifery Council