No 999 call after care home resident suffers stroke, hearing told

Jacqueline Osborne, a former staff nurse at Greasbrough Residential and Nursing Home, allegedly wanted to wait until the next morning before taking any action.

Osborne failed to comply with the home’s standard policy on what staff should do when a resident has a stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA), the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

Henry Vallance, representing the NMC, told the panel how during the night shift on June 21, 2013, Osborne had been alerted by carers that a female resident, referred to as Resident A needed urgent assistance.

Mr Vallance said: “At approximately 10.30pm, two care assistants found Resident A lying on the floor next to her bed.

“The carers thought that Resident A was showing signs of having had a stroke.

“One side of her face was sloped and she was not her usual self.”

Osborne then carried out a series of observations to determine what exactly had happened to the resident.

“The carers told the registrant that they thought that further medical assistance was required,” she said.

“They felt that a GP should have been contacted or the emergency services called.

“Neither of those things were done that night.

“The registrant told the carers that Resident A would be fine.”

At about 9.30am the next morning, a different nurse assessed the condition of Resident A and at that point the resident GP was called immediately and the woman was taken to hospital, the hearing in London was told.

Osborne was questioned over her response to the incident in a interview in August 2013.

“During the course of the interview the registrant accepted that she had not called a GP or the emergency services,” Mr Vallance said.

“The registrant also stated that shortly after her assessment she completed a risk assessment form.

“When the registrant completed this form she appears to have recognised that the task risk section at the top of the form was a TIA or stroke and the risk was that Resident A might have another TIA or even a stroke.”

Osborne stated at the time that perhaps she should have called a GP or 999 but she thought that it could wait until the morning.

She felt that as Resident A could drink and had come round that it would be more distressing for her to be transferred to the hospital.

“The registrant was asked if Resident A could have had a further TIA during the night and the registrant said it could be possible,” Mr Vallance said.

“The NMC's case is that when the registrant suspected that Resident A had suffered a stroke or a TIA, in accordance with good practice and the home's policy, she should have called a GP or the emergency services.

“It is alleged that she did neither.”

Mr Vallance stressed that Osborne wass not alleged to have cause or contributed to Resident A’s death 11 days after the incident.

The panel will now hear evidence from three witnesses before making their final decision.

Osborne, who is not attending or represented at the hearing, could face being struck off the medical register if the charge is found proved.

The hearing continues.