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Nurse Heeramun Oozageer struck off after attempt to hide patient overdose at Maidstone’s Elmwood Care Home

00:01, 01 February 2016

A dishonest nurse who was responsible for a series of failings in the care of six residents with learning disabilities has been struck off.

Heeramun Oozageer managed Maidstone’s Elmwood Care Home up until its closure in 2014 following a damning inspection by the government’s health watchdog.

The case was referred to regulator the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). In a misconduct hearing it found Mr Oozageer culpable for a number of errors at the Loose Road home.

Elmwood Care Home, which is closing. Picture: Matthew Walker
Elmwood Care Home, which is closing. Picture: Matthew Walker

Chief among them was his admission he gave two tablets of co-codamol to a resident known only as ‘patient C’ in 2013 and then changed records in an attempt to conceal the overdose.

"This is a sad reflection of poor care and management towards vulnerable adults whose lives were turned upside down when they were forced to find new care homes at short notice" - Mrs Sally Wilkinson

The panel also heard how the nurse of 16 years had shouted at another resident and threatened she would not be allowed cups of tea during a routine visit to see a GP.

It was also found Mr Oozageer had failed in his management of Elmwood to meet government standards in multiple areas, including staff training, health care plans, safeguarding, storage of medicines and delivering an adequate level of care.

He also admitted failing to seek out medical advice for one resident when she became ill. It was only when her sister Mrs Sally Wilkinson intervened that she was admitted to Maidstone Hospital and diagnosed with sepsis.

The NMC panel ruled Mr Oozageer should be struck off the nursing register.

A report says: “The panel considered that Mr Oozageer’s actions were extremely serious, caused actual patient harm and included dishonesty in concealing an error in which a patient had received an overdose of medication.”

Mrs Wilkinson said Mr Oozageer had shown “no remorse” for the impact his poor management had on residents, relatives and staff who lost their jobs when his care home closed.

She said: “This is a sad reflection of poor care and management towards vulnerable adults whose lives were turned upside down when they were forced to find new care homes at short notice.

“I believe the outcome of the NMC hearing to be fair and just considering the allegations brought and proved.”

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