A man employed by the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust has been removed from the Social Care Register after lying about his registration.
On December 9, a conduct committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) heard Stephen Swift deceived his employers when he told them he was registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in June 2008. The committee heard that on June 12 of that year he administered an antipsychotic drug to the wrong patient at Warneford Hospital, in Headington, after being promoted from healthcare assistant to staff nurse and placed in charge of a ward.
In fact, the Nursing and Midwifery Council had no record of him registering with them until November 2008, five months after the incident took place. He had falsely claimed to have received registration documents to advance from his current position of health care assistant.
The GSCC decided that his removal from their register, of which he was a legitimate member, was the only course of action for such a serious incident. The inquiry, held on December 8 to 9 in London, heard that Mr Swift had repeatedly been dishonest.
In a report, the council said: “The committee was satisfied that Mr Swift’s behaviour called into question his suitability to remain upon the register. Mr Swift’s proven behaviour had been dishonest and put those in charge at unnecessary risk of serious harm. His behaviour was fundamentally incompatible with being a care worker.
“We have evidence that Mr Swift admitted he had administered an antipsychotic drug to the wrong patient on the ward on June 12, 2008. We are satisfied that each and every allegation has been proved to the necessary standard. The committee determined that there is serious risk of repetition of this behaviour and that removal is the only appropriate sanction in these circumstances.”
Mr Swift was not present at the hearing, but the committee said it was satisfied that emails sent by him reflected his admission to the charges after he admitted the offence at an earlier hearing. An email was sent to the council by someone claiming to be Mr Swift's brother, Simon Swift, to say Mr Swift had died, although a private investigator found evidence he was living with his father and working nearby. No formal confirmation of his death was received by the GSCC.
He also failed to attend meetings with employers at Warneford hospital, as well as a disciplinary hearing in January 2009.
