A NURSE who admitted a string of dishonesty allegations including altering patient records has been suspended for eight months.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing found eight allegations proved against Rosemary Elizabeth Carr, a nurse of the 30 years, who worked for St Anne's Hospice and by St David's Hospice in Newport.

The hearing was told she was suspended from work in May 2010, as a result of an investigation relating to the Protection of Vulnerable Adults.

As part of that investigation police checks revealed she had been arrested and fined for stealing a suit from a Tesco store on February 14, 2009. But when interviewed about it by hospice staff she denied it, saying: "I haven't been arrested", "that has never happened".

As a result of the disclosure by police, Carr took a number of steps to disassociate herself with the incident, the hearing in the Old Bailey on July 19 was told.

This included falsifying shift records and adding notes to patient records to make it looked like she was working on February 14, in a bid to convince hospice staff police had got it wrong.

She spoke to colleagues and attempted to persuade them she had been on duty that day but checks made with payroll showed no record of her clocking in and out on that date.

She later went on to claim her bankcard must have been fraudulently used to pay the fixed penalty notice, but CCTV from Tesco was retrieved and she was identified on the footage.

Carr later confessed, but said the theft was "accidental" and said she falsified records out of panic and anxiety.

The hearing panel said Carr had embarked upon a "planned pattern of dishonest conduct" and said her actions demonstrated a "complete lack of professional judgement".

Imposing an eight months suspension order they said Carr's fitness to practice was impaired by reason of her misconduct, but acknowledged they took place during a period when she was facing issues in her personal life.