Lewis MacDonald was instructed by the Nursing & Midwifery Council in proceedings against Carrie-Anne Nash, a nurse who’s treatment contributed to the death of a 10 year old girl. Miss Nash was acquitted of manslaughter in relation to her treatment of the girl, but has been struck off following an 8 day hearing before her regulator.
On 24 August 2012 the patient’s parents took her to the A&E at Weston General Hospital for a feeding tube change. As no one with the relevant expertise was available, Miss Nash, a Community Paediatric feeding tube nurse, was called and attended to complete the change. The way that she did that resulted in the tube not being properly inserted into the stomach. There were a number of warning signs that this was the case, but these were not picked up and the patient was discharged. She tragically died the next day as a result of milk from the feeding tube entering the abdominal cavity instead of the stomach, where it caused inflammation and acute infection.
Miss Nash admitted failing to identify that the feeding tube was not in the stomach, and a failure to make appropriate records of her treatment, at the outset of the hearing. She denied forcing the tube into the patient, attempting a change when it was not appropriate to do so, and failing to identify red flag warning signs and take appropriate senior advice. All of these charges were found proved by the panel in a hearing involving evidence from two expert witnesses in the areas of nursing and paediatric gastroenterology. The panel today decided that the only appropriate and proportionate sanction was a striking-off order, the most serious sanction available.
Lewis MacDonald was instructed by the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
The case has been reported in the national press here:
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