Nurse gave patient records to partner, panel says
GoogleA children's nurse has been struck off the professional register after sharing confidential information about a patient with her partner.
A fitness to practise panel concluded that Zoe Jane Bradford, who worked at Kettering General Hospital in Northamptonshire, disclosed the patient records.
Ms Bradford admitted accessing clinical records on three occasions and the panel found she made a fourth breach.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council committee said allowing her to continue practising would "not protect the public and would undermine public confidence in the profession".
In February 2021, the panel was told that Northamptonshire Police contacted the NHS hospital trust about a potential breach of confidentiality by a member of staff.
The force had already arrested Ms Bradford's partner, known as Mr B during the hearing, and had found images of medical records belonging to the patient.
The patient was the victim of an assault, that had happened after Ms Bradford accessed the clinical records - the panel said.
Ms Bradford admitted that Mr B told her the patient had been a lodger in his parents' house and had assaulted his father and held a knife to his mother's throat.
She accepted she accessed the patient's records on three occasions in January 2021 but denied a fourth breach of confidentiality in December 2020.
The panel, sitting from 6 to 14 May, found the fourth breach was proved.
NMC HandoutMs Bradford said Mr B asked her to look at the records, but denied sharing them with him.
She could not explain how the records got on to his phone.
Alex Radley, representing the Nursing and Midwifery Council, told the court there was more than "just a risk" of harm to the patient, because he had in fact been assaulted after the breaches.
'Positive changes'
The panel accepted that Ms Bradford did not know why Mr B wanted the records, but she had abused her position of trust as a nurse and her misconduct could "seriously undermine trust in the nursing profession".
She had, however, apologised and "demonstrated real remorse for her actions".
The panel noted she had since split from her partner and had "worked hard to make positive personal and professional changes".
The panel ordered her to be struck off the nursing register. She has 28 days to appeal, but an interim order is in place to stop her practising during that time.
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