Bassetlaw: Nurse who pinned down dementia patient to force feed her medication is struck off

Susan Watkinson used ‘significant force’ to hold down the dementia sufferer before covering the woman’s mouth.

Watkinson ignored pleas from the patient and said ‘well choke then’ in front of a horrified colleague at Bassetlaw General Hospital, Worksop, Notts.

She was convicted at Mansfield and Worksop Magistrates Court of assault by beating and given a two month sentence, suspended for a year.

Watkinson was on the drugs round when the dementia sufferer became verbally and physically abusive.

The nurse and a colleague offered her some medication, but she began kicking and lashing out.

Watkinson used her left hand to hold down both the patient’s arms but she spat out the medication.

During a second attempt Watkinson put her left hand over the patient’s chin and mouth.

When the patient complained she was ‘going to choke,’ to which Watkinson said in a loud and aggressive tone: ‘Well choke then.’

She walked off leaving the patient ‘usually subdued.’

The incident was reported by the colleague, but Watkinson resigned before a disciplinary hearing could take place.

Police were then notified of the incident.

Striking Watkinson from the register, NMC panel chair Jack Walsh said: “Ms Watkinson’s actions were a significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse, and are fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register.”

“The panel was of the view that the facts in this particular case demonstrate that Ms Watkinson’s actions were serious and to allow her to continue practising would undermine public confidence in the profession and in the NMC as a regulatory body.”