Stafford Hospital: Employee Who Called Dementia Patient An Animal Struck Off
A midwife who called a dementia patient “an animal” while working as a healthcare assistant at Stafford Hospital has been struck off.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) found Bonka Kostova had also pulled the man, 73, out of a toilet cubicle by his pyjama top.
Ms Kostova did not attend the hearing where all charges against her were proven.
Two nurses intervened after seeing the incident in July 2010.
Pushed patient
Ms Kostova, who trained as a midwife in Bulgaria, was working the night shift as a healthcare assistant when the incident happened.
She was found to have pushed the man, named as patient A, into his wheelchair when he stood up and pushed him into a bathroom and onto a toilet.
The patient had been at Stafford Hospital for just over a month and was receiving treatment for kidney stones, the tribunal heard.
He was said to be aggressive in his speech or manner about 80% of the time and normally had a one-to-one carer, who was on a break at the time of the incident, leaving Ms Kostova in charge.
She was struck off the NMC register after all charges against were found proved “and as a result her fitness to practise was found to be impaired”, a spokeswoman for the council said.
Robert Courtney Harris, medical director of Mid Staffs Trust, said Ms Kostova was suspended following the incident and “never returned to work at our trust”.
As the incident happened in July 2010, it was after the period covered by last week’s Francis inquiry into Stafford Hospital.
Same Difference 