A DISGRACED nurse struck off for 'causing unnecessary distress' to a patient and rough-handling others won back her right to practise after a passionate plea for mercy at the disciplinary hearing.

Ann Bailey, 47, of 44 Kirkcroft, Wigginton, York, said she was now "really, really grievously sorry" for her actions at York District Hospital between July 1994 and January 1995.

She told the professional conduct committee of the UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting that she now realised "a lot of love goes into running nursing homes and I would like to play my part."

Nurse Bailey was struck off after a hearing in April 1997 found her guilty of seven allegations of misconduct.

She was employed as a sister on a 30-bed general ward at the time of the allegations, said counsel official Miss Mandy Lavin.

In January 1995 a patient had had his appendix removed and developed complications.

Shortly afterwards nurses were trying to encourage him to get out of bed and stand up straight.

"The patient managed to take steps with support from both nurses when nurse Bailey came in.

"The patient was in a stooped position. She put the palm of her hand and pushed him back. It was a very quick action and the patient screamed in pain and swore."

Another allegation found proved against nurse Bailey concerned a terminally-ill patient who was in the hospital in January 1995, looking pale and breathless.

A nurse suggested that if her blood count was low, a transfusion might be in order but nurse Bailey did not appear particularly interested and failed to contact a doctor.

She had also roughly handled patients, spoken abruptly to them and on one occasion had pulled a patient on to his side in bed, leaving him with his face partially buried in his pillow.

Nurse Bailey told the London hearing: "I must confess that it was very hard to accept the judgement at the time but I bear no grudge and I accept I was wholly to blame for what happened.

"She now accepted that wrong things had been done while she was working at the hospital but she had obtained a lot of job satisfaction and wanted to get back to nursing to prove that she could be a kind and caring person.

She added: "A lot of love goes on in nursing homes and I want to be part of that."

She had been so keen to resume her career that she had done her best to update herself and she could promise the committee that she would do her best to make sure that nothing like this ever happened again.

After the decision to restore her name to the register was made, committee chairman Mrs Mary Hanratty said it wanted to wish nurse Bailey well in the future.

However, the restoration decision in no way condoned or excused her previous misconduct and a record of her removal - and the restoration - would be kept in the Council's files for five years.

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