A Suffolk nurse has been sanctioned after a health regulator found she put vulnerable patients at risk of serious harm.

Katrina King, who worked as a clinical lead nurse at Friars Hall Nursing Home in Hadleigh during August 2015, said she had given residents medication and carried out tests when she had not.

At a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing hosted earlier this month, Ms King also admitted to making errors when recording prescriptions for two residents between August 26 and 27 of that year.

The NMC panel, chaired by Charlotte Richardson, found that over a three-day period – between August 24 and 27 – Ms King also failed to provide an adequate handover to another nurse and did not complete a scheduled blood test for another resident.

During those three days the home, which is now closed, was preparing for an upcoming CCG inspection.

The panel heard Ms King, who was stressed at the time, also signed forms to say she gave eye drops to a fourth resident despite not doing so.

Concerns were raised by the panel – who gave Ms King a two-year conditions of practice order with an interim order of 18 months at the end of the hearing – that a number of mistakes had been made in such a short space of time.

They said: “While each mistake individually did not amount to misconduct, the fact that so many mistakes were made over a three day period was indicative of a pattern which raised serious concern about Ms King’s adherence to one of the most fundamental standards of care.”

Various drugs had not been administered, they noted, and the potential impact this could have had on people with conditions like Parkinson’s disease was also taken into account.

They added: “[Ms King’s] actions did put some residents at an unwarranted risk of serious harm albeit no actual harm was caused as a result of her errors.”

Representing Ms King, Rebekah Hummerstone told the panel her client had been a nurse for more than 30 years.

She said the charges concerned only a very short period of three days, at a time when the home was under significant pressure.

Ms Hummerstone also asked that the mistakes be considered in the context of a long career.

Under the terms of her order, Ms King must not administer medication without supervision and has to submit a personal development plan.

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