Pauline Cafferkey Ebola Victim Faces Hearing

[agchristie]

How serious do you find this? Should she be struck off by the NMC?

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/13/ebola-nurse-pauline-cafferkey-faces-disciplinary-hearing/amp/

[Peter Pedant]

depends on what the facts are ....
decided on balance of probabilities
and we allowed to discuss it in real time as the NMC isnt a court of record ( sorry gettng a bit technical there )

there were a few that travelled when they knew they had got it
and the paed caused the Freetown cases didnt he ? before he croaked

oh oops
verdict in
struck off ... 09 13 today....

[Peter Pedant]

nope sozza
I didnt hear wrong
but the case is to begin today .....

the charge sheet has been 'leaked' which I dont understand as you can walk in to the hearing and pick up the charge sheet ....

the criteria for bringing the case is NOT that she could be struck off but that her registration may beed conditions ....

[ladybirder]

I am surprised that a nurse who had been working with victims of Ebola so knew what the consequences could be better than most, would seek to deceive the authorities as she appears to have done. Whether she should be struck off depends on the results of the Disciplinary Hearing of course but I wouldn't know how bad a transgression has to be to cause a nurse to be struck off.

[vulcan42]

Not having anything to do with medical matters, apart from visiting my Doctor occasionally, I don't understand this. Pauline Cafferkey is being accused of not telling the authorities she had taken Paracetamol, if she didn't tell them how do they suspect/know she did?

[andy-hughes]

I am surprised she has been struck off.

I opined at the time that the notion that a woman who has dealt with a life-threatening disease contracted in the act of helping to save lives being struck off would provide a seriously bad media profile for the powers-that-be.

That said, that is no reason why the rules should not be applied, and it appears that they have been - although there will be the inevitable 'unfair ... disgraceful ... what sort of a health service do we have ...' headlines to follow.

[youngmafbog]

Blood tests maybe?

If she knew she was carrying then definitely struck off. Otherwise I guess it depends on the decision of people with far more knowledge than I possess.

[Zacs-Master]

'seriously bad media profile for the powers-that-be'

Not to me. It's reassuring that they're saying to their 'staff' 'don't be irresponsible'.

[jno]

Not struck off yet, Andy.

Can't see the point of all this. Struck off on the grounds of not saying she'd taken paracetamol? I thought the NHS was short of money. This doesn't seem a useful way of spending it.

[ladybirder]

Absolutely zacs. She knew better than most or should have what the consequences of her actions could have been.

[Zacs-Master]

jno, she's allegedly concealed a high temperature which she well knew, was an early symptom.

[vulcan42]

How do you conceal your temperature when somebody else takes it?

[andy-hughes]

jno - //Can't see the point of all this. Struck off on the grounds of not saying she'd taken paracetamol? I thought the NHS was short of money. This doesn't seem a useful way of spending it. //

I believe the action is being taken because it is perceived that she deliberately sought to conceal her temperature by taking paracetamol, so it is less the action, than the perceived reason behind it that has caused the disciplinary system to kick in.

[andy-hughes]

vulcan42 - // How do you conceal your temperature when somebody else takes it? //

You take paracetamol, which lowers your temperature, giving in inaccurate reading, which is the basis for the disciplinary action.

[Baldric]

As a Medical Professional she knew exactly what she was doing and what the effect of the Paracetamol would be in masking her symptoms. Her actions could have, or possibly did, put a lot of people at risk.
Of course she should be struck off.

[ChillDoubt]

How do you conceal your temperature when somebody else takes it?
--------------
You lie about your symptoms and take paracetamol in order to lower(and thus mask said symptoms) your temperature, as I believe she is being accused of.
If this proves to be the case she has indeed been very reckless and endangered many people unnecessarily.

[Togo]

I would think that she suspected she was indeed infected, and was probably extremely afraid. She would have known that her best chance of survival was to get back to the UK, but knew of the screening of travellers and the isolation of anyone showing a high temperature. She should have immediately confessed to taking paracetamol and allowed herself to be isolated as soon as she reached the UK.

[anotheoldgit]

/// In draft allegations which the NMC mistakenly released last month, the nurse was accused of concealing her temperature during checks on her return to the UK from the West African country, and alleged to have given dishonest answers to medical staff during screening at Heathrow. ///

If these allegations prove to be true, then she has been found guilty of endangering other people for her own selfish reasons.

So yes, at the very least she should be struck off.

[agchristie]

It's interesting how the picture changes from compassion and sympathy for someone whose life was seriously at risk to one who is villified!

If she is proven to have been duplicitous and reckless then she deserves to have the book thrown at her.

[agchristie]

'vilified' even.

[andy-hughes]

agchristie - //It's interesting how the picture changes from compassion and sympathy for someone whose life was seriously at risk to one who is villified!

If she is proven to have been duplicitous and reckless then she deserves to have the book thrown at her. //

It is interesting, but that is how some situations go when time passes, and things change.

I always think of Jade Goody - vilified to wazzooo and back for being terminally stupid, gobby, and overweight, then transformed to sainthood via terminal cancer.

I think a degree of compassion is appropriate here - who is to say none of us would have done the same in order to get back to the UK for high-grade treatment, in her situation.

That said, there is no point having rules to protect health if they are not applied.

It's a moral dilemma, we shall see how it plays out.