An Aberdeen nurse has been suspended after “force feeding medication” to a dementia patient.
Alexander Birnie had also been accused of swearing at a patient while employed by NHS Grampian in 2018.
Charges against the suspended nurse were discussed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s fitness to practise committee (NMC) earlier this month.
The panel was presented with evidence from witnesses and found the three charges from his time working on the dementia ward to be “proved”.
The report states: “Mr Birnie was employed at NHS Grampian (the Trust) during 2018.
“Whilst working on the dementia ward at the Trust, it is alleged that colleagues observed Mr Birnie forcing a patient to take their medication and speaking to them inappropriately and on a separate occasion dealing inappropriately with a vulnerable patient.”
‘Unacceptable’ incident
The first charge was related to an event from May 30, 2018 during which Mr Birnie grabbed a patient’s head and told them “turn your f*****g head”.
The report quotes evidence from a witness who said: “He put his hand on top of her head and twisted it away… he grabbed it and didn’t do it gently.”
She added he was “threatening and aggressive in manner”.
On June 1, 2o18, Mr Birnie loudly told another patient to “open your mouth” and then held their head.
He went on to try and “force feed” medication to the patient using a “dessert” spoon.
When sharing her evidence, one witness said the incident “stood out to her in her nursing career”.
She added: “In my several decades of nursing practise, I have never witnessed anything more unacceptable.”
On an unknown date he also told a colleague to “f*** off” or words to that effect.
Aberdeen nurse suspended
The panel weighed up the evidence presented with background from Mr Birnie’s career and the fitness to practise “library”.
They found the two patients were at risk of “physical and psychological harm” as a result of his misconduct.
They added fellow members of the profession would find his conduct to be “deplorable”.
NMC issued a suspension order for six months and interim suspension order for 18 months.
The report adds: “Without diminishing the seriousness of the matters found proved,
in these circumstances the panel decided that striking you from the register would be
disproportionate.”
NHS Grampian confirmed Mr Birnie is no longer an employee.
Conversation