Scottish care home nurse pushed woman while she was walking with Zimmer frame

Beverley Thompson was found guilty by a disciplinary panel of mistreating vulnerable patients at Livingston Care Home Dementia Unit, West Lothian.

A hearing at the Nursing and Midwifery Council in Edinburgh last week heard that her behaviour in the autumn of 2017 was 'a serious departure from the standards of the profession' and 'had the potential to cause physical and psychological harm to residents'.

Thompson - who was convicted of ill treatment at Livingston Sheriff Court last year - left patient Janet Mathieson, feeling 'distressed and distraught' after she pushed her from behind while walking down the corridor with a Zimmer frame, the hearing was told.

In another incident, hospital staff witnessed Thompson placing her leg against the stomach of another resident, Ann Mearns, pinning her to a chair.

Later that night, Thompson grabbed resident Betty Murray by her wrists, dragged her across the lounge and forcibly sat her in a chair, the hearing was told.

Ten minutes later she grabbed her again by the dressing gown sleeves and dragged her to her bedroom before pinning her to the bed.

Last year's court hearing was told she then barricaded a door to prevent Ms Murray from leaving a room, forcibly pushing her down onto a bed and trapping her there by wrapping the bedclothes tightly around her body.

Thompson reportedly told a colleague: "That’s the way you settle Betty!"

At last November's trial, the then 47-year-old denied the charges, saying: "It just didn't happen". However, she was convicted of four offences relating to ill treatment and neglect and sentenced to 200 hours unpaid work.

Alistair Kennedy, representing the council, said Thompson's behaviour was "a serious departure from the standards of the profession and, at the very least, had the potential to cause physical and psychological harm to residents."

The panel struck off Thompson - who failed to attend the NMC hearing on July 26 - for not only 'abusing her position of trust' but for 'showing no insight or remorse into the distress and harm she may have caused patients, their family members, her colleagues, or her effect on the reputation of the home and profession'.

Thompson, of Limefield Crescent, Bathgate, had qualified as a State Registered Nurse in June 2011 and had worked at Livingston Care Home Dementia Unit for three years until she was suspended in April 2018.