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From UK DAILY MAIL
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A nurse who helped treat twins who
died from a huge overdose of morphine at the scandal-hit Stafford
Hospital has been allowed to keep working.
Joanne Thompson admitted a series of charges before a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise hearing in London this week.
But the panel ruled her fitness to practise 'was not impaired'.
An inquest into the deaths of the twins, Alfie and Harry McQuillan, who died on November 1, 2010, heard that they were given an 'excessive' dose of morphine hours after their birth at Stafford Hospital.
The babies were born at 27 weeks after the twins' mother, Ami Dean, was rushed to Stafford Hospital in the early hours of October 30th, 2010, after she began to bleed.
Despite being born prematurely, the identical twins had been in a 'good' condition during the first few hours of their lives, an inquest into their deaths in 2012 heard.
But it was decided to give the twins morphine to stabilise them before they were transferred to the maternity unit at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire where the twins died on November 1st.
The panel heard that the brothers, referred to in the proceedings as twin one and twin two, received 600 and 850 microgrammes of morphine respectively.
They should have been given between 50 and 100 microgrammes.
Mrs Thompson, a senior staff nurse in the hospital's special care baby unit, was accused of allowing a more junior nurse, Lisa Lucas, prepare for the administration and/or administer the drug to the twins with the help of a junior doctor whom she should have known was insufficiently experienced.
The NMC panel found this claim was not proved.
The nurse admitted not being present throughout the whole morphine administration process, that she did not check it was properly diluted, and she did not call for medical help to check the administration.
Nurse linked to the death of premature twins killed by '10 times too much morphine' is allowed to keep working
- Alfie and Harry McQuillan were born at 27 weeks in October 2010
- Were in a 'good condition' despite being born so early, inquest heard
- Prescribed morphine to stabilise them but instead given 'excessive dose'
- Died at scandal-hit Stafford Hospital two days later
- Nurse in charge, Joanne Thompson, was accused of letting less senior member of staff administer wrong dose
- Was today cleared of misconduct by Nursing and Midwifery Council
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Joanne Thompson, a senior staff nurse in the special care baby unit of the hospital, has been allowed to continue working
Joanne Thompson admitted a series of charges before a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise hearing in London this week.
But the panel ruled her fitness to practise 'was not impaired'.
An inquest into the deaths of the twins, Alfie and Harry McQuillan, who died on November 1, 2010, heard that they were given an 'excessive' dose of morphine hours after their birth at Stafford Hospital.
The babies were born at 27 weeks after the twins' mother, Ami Dean, was rushed to Stafford Hospital in the early hours of October 30th, 2010, after she began to bleed.
Despite being born prematurely, the identical twins had been in a 'good' condition during the first few hours of their lives, an inquest into their deaths in 2012 heard.
But it was decided to give the twins morphine to stabilise them before they were transferred to the maternity unit at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire where the twins died on November 1st.
The panel heard that the brothers, referred to in the proceedings as twin one and twin two, received 600 and 850 microgrammes of morphine respectively.
They should have been given between 50 and 100 microgrammes.
Mrs Thompson, a senior staff nurse in the hospital's special care baby unit, was accused of allowing a more junior nurse, Lisa Lucas, prepare for the administration and/or administer the drug to the twins with the help of a junior doctor whom she should have known was insufficiently experienced.
The NMC panel found this claim was not proved.
The nurse admitted not being present throughout the whole morphine administration process, that she did not check it was properly diluted, and she did not call for medical help to check the administration.
