A care home boss accused of not giving a resident pain relief – and telling a colleague they were “there to die anyway” – will go before his professional watchdog next month.
John Charters faces eight charges relating to an eight-month period at Grandview House Care Home in Grantown, where he was the deputy manager.
His case will go before the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and if the panel rule his fitness to practice was impaired, he could be struck off.
It is alleged that between November 23, 2013 and July 18, 2014, Mr Charters made a number of inappropriate remarks to residents and colleagues at the home.
On one occasion, it is alleged that while inserting a suppository, he told the woman: ‘I’ll be your Samson if you’ll be my Delilah” or words to that effect, before slapping her on her bare bottom.
He also allegedly refused to let a different resident go to bed, and said they were “being stupid”, or something similar.
Another charge accuses Mr Charters of telling a colleague that a resident who had asked for pain relief was “here to die anyway”, and that he did not check to see if the woman was prescribed anything, or administer her with any drugs.
When another woman told him she did not have dementia, Mr Charters allegedly told her “you obviously do if you can’t remember your husband is dead”, or words to that effect. He also allegedly told her “don’t be so silly and take your medication”.
On the same unknown date between May and July 2004 he is accused telling a different resident that she was a “stupid woman” and saying “if you don’t take the tablet it will kill you” while attempting to administer medication.
Mr Charters, of Nairn, is also accused of dragging a resident up from the floor by placing his arms under their armpits.
And on or around July 2, 2014 he allegedly have failed to maintain a patient’s dignity after she had fallen in the home’s reception area by not putting a screen around her and not moving away other residents.
He is also alleged to have said “no brain, no pain” about a resident, and on the same date shouted at a colleague in front of visitors and then pulled another patient to her feet by grabbing her beneath her armpits.
He is further accused of leaving the medication trolley unlocked and unattended on one or more unknown dates.
A further charge states that when a colleague reported that a resident had touched her inappropriately he laughed and said that the resident was a “bad boy”.
He also refused to see a resident when he asked to see a nurse and also grabbed a different resident’s arms and kicked her legs out from beneath her.
Mr Charters will face a hearing to answer the charges on February 8. He declined to comment on the case when approached at home yesterday.
Nobody from the home was available for comment last night.
In July 2016, Mr Charters was cleared to work again after the NMC found 10 of the charges not proven. Of the four charges which were proven, none were deemed by the panel to amount to misconduct. See our story here.