A nurse who humiliated and physically hurt elderly patients at a Highland hospital has been suspended for 12 months.
Colin Donnelly was disciplined in December 2014 after being found guilty by Nursing and Midwifery Council of charges relating to his work at Belford Hospital in Fort William.
One of his offences involved waving a used incontinence pad inches from a patient’s face.
He was initially banned from nursing without supervision for 18 months – but on reviewing his case Mr Donnelly, a former world and UK fell running champion has now been suspended for the next 12 months.
The athlete was not present at the review hearing and a submission from the Royal College of Nursing said that Mr Donnelly “does not intend to go back to nursing”.
During the initial hearing, Mr Donnelly admitted two charges, and four others were found proven by the watchdog.
He admitted using a “condemned” manual handling technique on a patient and on a separate occasion throwing a pyjama top on to the floor in the presence of a patient.
He was found to have used more force than necessary to move a stroke victim’s arm, causing her to cry out in pain.
Later that day, Mr Donnelly held the same patient’s wet incontinence pad within a foot of her face.
Mr Donnelly was sacked from his job at Belford Hospital.
The panel considering the case found that Mr Donnelly’s fitness to practice remains impaired as they had no evidence put before them to suggest remediation.
They also found that he was likely to have become “deskilled” having not worked as a nurse for almost three years.
The panel also found that a period of suspension was the most suitable sanction to “allow Mr Donnelly further time to reflect on his failings”.
Despite receiving notice through the Royal College of Nursing that he did not intend to return to nursing, the panel found that because Mr Donnelly had not been “explicit about his future intentions” to them they considered that a period of suspension was appropriate.
It will be reviewed again in 12 months time, with Mr Donnelly being given a “further opportunity to engage” with the process.
