AN experienced nurse has been struck off after a botched catheter fitting left a patient needing hospital treatment.

Sandra Elizabeth Duxbury made a number of mistakes while performing the procedure on an elderly man at Spring Hill Care Home in Accrington, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was told.

A conduct and competence committee heard that when Duxbury fitted the catheter it was not inserted into the bladder.

She was then accused of failing to ensure that urine was discharged, after its insertion, and a number of failings over making notes for the procedure in the man’s records. Duxbury admitted four misconduct charges in relation to the incident which took place in August 2011.

The elderly man was left in “significant distress” and he had to be admitted to hospital, the committee was told.

Because Duxbury had not made proper notes in his records, fellow staff were initially left at a loss as to why the man was distressed.

A three-strong NMC panel ruled that Duxbury was guilty of professional misconduct after a day-long hearing.

The watchdog was told that Duxbury had written to the NMC and indicated that, after leaving the home in Fairfield Street, she was now retired.

Panel chairman Mary Symes also said that there had been “little or no support” offered to nursing staff by the home.

Announcing Duxbury would be struck off, she added: “Were Mrs Duxbury to return to nursing, there is no information before the panel which would reassure it that she would not make a similar error.”