Sacked nurse ‘began relationship with former patient’

A MENTAL health nurse has been accused of duping patients into believing she was still working for a health board almost two years after she was sacked.

The nurse allegedly started an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable ex-patient and harassed former colleagues. Picture: TSPL

Margo Neilly faces a string of further charges, including that she allegedly started an “inappropriate” relationship with a vulnerable ex-patient and harassed former colleagues – all while under investigation by the nursing standards watchdog, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Ms Neilly is due to face an NMC disciplinary hearing later this month in relation to allegations about her conduct after she was sacked from Fort 
William Health Centre in January 2012.

The NMC claims the “inappropriate relationship” between the mental health nurse and the vulnerable former patient lasted for more than a year, from when she was sacked by NHS Highland until April 2013.

Ms Neilly is also alleged to have behaved inappropriately towards another former patient by visiting her at her home in October 2013.

She is accused of harassing a former colleague by accusing her of “shafting” her, calling her a “liar”, visiting her home and trying to call her at the health centre.

She is also said to have visited the health centre drunk in May last year – more than a year after being dismissed – and allegedly told the same woman to “b***** off”; threatened her that she would “see her, somewhere, sometime”; replied “good, f***ing call the police”; and refused to leave when the woman said she would call 999.

Ms Neilly is also accused of telling another former colleague to “p*** off” and flicked water in their faces in a “provocative and/or threatening manner”.

The mental health nurse, who lived in Fort Augustus at the time of the alleged offences, is further accused of turning up at the health centre drunk again in October 2013.

The following month, she is said to have been deliberately dishonest by lying to a patient to make them believe she was working at the health centre.

The NMC claims the mental health nurse’s fitness to practice is “impaired by reason of misconduct”.

The hearing is due to start in Edinburgh on 16 June and is scheduled to run for four days.

Ms Neilly was suspended from the nursing profession while investigations took place.

She could not be contacted for comment.

The health centre runs clinics for the management of long-term diseases such as asthma 
and diabetes, and offer a wide variety of other medical services including antenatal and postnatal care, minor surgery, childhood vaccinations and “well-person” check-ups.