In this case, the nurse was referred to the NMC by a patient after the employer had carried out an internal investigation.
This happens regularly when patients or their families are not satisfied with the outcome from the organisation. This is often difficult for registrants as they feel they have been through the process already and are being investigated once again.
Fitness to practise defence barrister, Catherine Stock, said:
“Even if a registrant is exonerated by their employer or local action has been taken, the NMC can still undertake their own investigation and come to a different outcome. It is important not to take this personally, as the NMC are driven by a different objective than that of your employer.
“If this happens, it is crucial that you do not ignore the referral and obtain appropriate legal advice in order to engage with the regulator in a meaningful and productive way.”
In this case, after an initial short investigation by the NMC, the matter was closed with no further action being taken.
Speaking about this case, our client said:
“A colleague recommended Catherine to me. She was very experienced, professional, empathetic, non-judgemental and listened to me. I will be forever grateful.”
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Disclaimer: This article is for guidance purposes only. Kings View Chambers accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever for any action taken, or not taken, in relation to this article. You should seek the appropriate legal advice having regard to your own particular circumstances.