Manhandling care worker gets the sack

Published on Saturday 12 September 2009 11:26

A CARE worker has been sacked after she manhandled an elderly patient at a care home.

Helen Wornin, 50, was helping Muriel Morrison out of bed at Heatherfield Nursing Home in Armadale, West Lothian when the 70-year-old's leg became stuck.

Despite colleagues warning Wornin the patient was stuck and in pain, she became frustrated and started pulling at the leg to free it.

Worried colleagues reported her behaviour and Wornin, of Harthill, was sacked from her job when the incident on 17 June last year came to light.

Yesterday at Livingston Sheriff Court she pleaded guilty to mistreating a patient who she was supposed to be looking after.

She had not guilty pleas to another two charges of mistreating another patient accepted by the Crown.

Wornin's solicitor, Andrew Aitken, said his client had been sacked following the incident but insisted that she had not meant to harm the patient.

Sheriff Martin Eddington deferred sentence on Wornin for six months for her to be of good behaviour.