Nurse struck off for fear of repeated misconduct

Iona McLay abandoned her post to spend hours alone with a patient and exchanging text messages with him as she worked late shifts in the mental health unit at the Larbert hospital.

She was given a ban last year and it was due to expire on October 10, however a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel of a conduct and competence committee considered it had “strong public interest” to review it before that date.

The panel decided to replace the current suspension order with a striking off-order following another allegation of misconduct against the nurse.

The report said: “Given the panel’s findings of limited insight and remediation coupled with the new allegation that has recently come to light, the panel is concerned about a risk of repetition.

“This allegation may have a bearing on Miss McLay’s insight, the risk of repetition and, most importantly, her probity.”

No details of the new allegation were given during the hearing as Miss McLay was absent and “is not returning to nursing and currently lives in Singapore”.

The report added: “The panel noted that Miss McLay had not provided any further evidence of ongoing insight or remediation into her failings, despite the opportunities she had been given. It noted her clear intention to not return to nursing.

“The panel concluded a striking-off order is the only sanction which will be sufficient to protect the public interest and that public confidence in the professions and the NMC cannot be sustained if Miss McLay is not removed from the register.”