Charge

At a hearing held on 13 December 2017, the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, considered a charge laid by the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) against Ms S, (the Nurse) of Hamilton.

The charge alleged that over a 7 month period, the Nurse had inappropriately accessed and viewed the electronic records of a patient.

The hearing proceeded by way of an agreed summary of facts.

Findings

The Tribunal is satisfied that the particulars of the charge were established and that the misconduct was serious enough that disciplinary sanction should follow.

The Tribunal noted that this was a case of neglect of professional duty rather than any wilful disregards for the patients interests.

Penalty

The Tribunal censured the Nurse and suspended her from practice for 3 months; imposed conditions on resumption of practice and ordered her to pay a total of $21,000 as a contribution to the costs of the Tribunal and the PCC.