TWO Gwent nurses have been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council after they were found guilty of “shocking failures” in the standard of care they were providing patients.

Manager of Grosvenor Nursing Home in Abertillery, Susan Reynolds, and nurse and deputy manager Heather Hayward, of the same care home, were found guilty of more than 20 counts of malpractice each and have been struck off, following a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing.

The decision was welcomed by the daughter of one of the patients of the care home who said it may be the "only justice" they get.

At the hearing which took place at Temple Court in Cardiff, a panel chaired by Michael Cann, decided Reynolds who was employed at Grosvenor Nursing Home, as registered manager between November 20, 2002 and May 9, 2007, was guilty of charges including failing to ensure a system for effective hygiene and infection control was in place; failing to ensure that members of staff maintained accurate and detailed records of care provided to residents and failing to ensure that members of staff were changing the resident's continence pads on a sufficiently frequent basis thereby increasing the resident's risk of developing pressure sores.

On Tuesday Mr Cann said: “There has been shocking failures in standards of care to patients.

“Her misconduct was not isolated-it occurred over a period of time.

“Ms Reynolds fitness to practice was impaired and it remains impaired.”

On his decision to strike both nurses off he said: “There is a real risk to patients.

“There has been fundamental departures from standards set out in the code.”

He added that the two nurses had not “grasped the seriousness of their actions” in particular to Hayward who he said “showed no insight of genuine remorse.”

The panel also heard how charges against Ms Hayward included her failure to ensure that a resident was provided with necessary pressure relieving equipment until approximately November 3, 2006; failing to ensure that adequate care plans were in place for that type of care; and failing to ensure that the resident received adequate nutritional intake.

The chairman said in Ms Hayward’s case there had been a “catalogue of wholesale failings” and approved an interim order for both nurses so they would not be able to practice within a maximum period of 18 months where they have a chance to appeal the decision.

Catherine Cawe, the daughter of Dorothea Hale, who was a patient under Ms Hayward’s care at the home said she ‘welcomed’ the result of the NMC hearing which struck off the two nurses who were responsible for caring for her mother, who died in hospital in 2007 after she had left the home.

“They were responsible for meeting the basic care needs (of her mother) and they were not met,” she said.

“It has been a long and difficult (time) for the whole family, as this has been going on since 2006 and in that time I have lost my father and he is not here today to hear the NMC.

“This may be the only justice we might get."

She recalled one incident when Ms Hayward said to her: “I wish I was an octopus, I pray to God I become an octopus so I can do everything you want me to do for your mother,” when she asked the nurse to help her mother try on bras.

“I am relieved,” she said.

“This is what were hoping for-that they will never make another person suffer again.