A conduct hearing held in Cardiff last week ordered a 36 year-old nurse from Wales be struck off the register for stealing medication from a vulnerable patient.

An independent panel of the Nursing & Midwifery Council last week heard that Sarah Louise Cole was working in the Burns & Plastics Unit at Morriston Hopsital in Swansea in June 2004 when she purposefully suggested the need of medication for a patient so she could steal it.

The panel also heard that on an unknown date in 2004 Cole stole some property belonging to Swansea NHS Trust.

The nurse had previously been warned for removing drugs from a cupboard for her own use, highlighting a dishonest pattern of behaviour.

The independent panel found Cole's fitness to practise impaired and was ordered to be removed from the register.

Commenting on the outcome of the hearing, Stephanie Guyett, NMC spokesperson said,

"This nurse was in serious breach of the code of conduct, as she failed in her duty of care to her patient who was entitled to receive safe and competent care. Furthermore, stealing is certainly not an action that upholds or enhances the good reputation of nursing. The panel believed that if Cole was left to carry on practising, it would pose a real risk that there might be further incidents, jeopardising public protection."

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. The primary purpose of the NMC is protection of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses eligible to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct. Currently the number of registrants exceeds 682,000. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (The Order), sets out the NMC's role and responsibilities.

The independent panel is selected from a pool of individuals appointed by the Appointments Board. They come from a variety of backgrounds and are not NMC Council members, nor do they sit on any committee of the Council.

Nursing and Midwifery Council