Two nurses at hospital in 'abuse' film banned from practising

Two nurses who worked at a residential hospital where carers are alleged to have routinely abused vulnerable adults have been suspended from practising, it was announced yesterday.

Sookalingum Appoo and Kelvin Fore, who both worked at the Winterbourne View hospital, near Bristol, have been suspended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The NMC said their registrations had been withdrawn pending a full investigation into allegations of serious breaches of its code of conduct.

A spokeswoman yesterday said: "The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) today suspended the registration of two nurses from Winterbourne View Care Home in Hambrook.

"A panel of the investigating committee placed an interim suspension order against the registration of Mr Sookalingum Appoo and Mr Kelvin Fore pending a full investigation into allegations of serious breaches of the NMC code of conduct.

"The NMC is the only authority with the power to stop nurses and midwives whose conduct or competence has been called in question from practising."

The announcement comes after undercover footage of the apparent misconduct at the hospital was recorded by investigators from the BBC's Panorama programme.

The footage appeared to show vulnerable residents with learning disabilities being pinned down, slapped, doused in cold water and repeatedly taunted and teased.