Nurse struck off after leaving ICU patient 'crying out in pain'

A NURSE who squeezed an intensive care patient's penis and cleaned it with a substance which felt like "acid" has been struck off.

- ABBIE WIGHTWICK Education editor [e-mail]

Andrew Jonathan Davies humiliated the gravely-ill patient, who was unable to speak and could only communicate with his eyes, when he looked after him in the ICU at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil, a professional standards hearing was told.

At times Davies had the patient in his care "crying out in pain", with the patient saying he hurt his head and neck on every shift, the Nursing and Midwifery Council committee heard.

All of nine allegations against Davies, in relation to the patient, were found proved by a Nursing and Midwifery Council panel. The nurse, with 40 years' experience, was registered as an adult care nurse in 1986 and orthopaedic nurse in 1988. He was struck off in both categories.

Davies, who regularly worked at the Prince Charles Hospital ICU with the Richmond Nursing Agency Ltd between 2020 and 2021, denied all the allegations but the panel, which also took evidence from the patient, his wife and hospital staff, found all proved and that they amounted to serious misconduct.

The details and result of the hearing, which began earlier this year, was delayed and resumed from November 10-20, have been posted online by the NMC.

The patient, referred to as Patient A to protect his identity, was admitted to Prince Charles Hospital intensive care unit in April 2021 with abdominal pain, possible sepsis and periarrest.

He was later diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disease which can lead to weakness and paralysis. As a result of his GBS, Patient A was paralysed, placed on a ventilator and sedated.