Mental health nurse at Lancashire Care '˜grabbed patient by neck'

A mental health nurse at Lancashire Care has been suspended for 12 months for losing his temper with an aggressive young patient.
The Harbour in MartonThe Harbour in Marton
The Harbour in Marton

Charles Anthony Dawes shouted and swore at the youngster, before grabbing him by the neck and putting him on a bed, a Nursing and Midwifery Council Fitness to Practise Committee found.

He also admitted sending a copy of the unnamed patient’s medical information to his personal email account.

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The panel said it was “mindful” Mr Dawes was involved in a “very challenging and fast-moving situation”, but said his actions were an “inappropriate response”.

The Harbour in MartonThe Harbour in Marton
The Harbour in Marton

It said: “Accepting that Mr Dawes may have felt at risk of assault himself, his actions were not in line with his training nor in line with acceptable clinical practice and fell far below the standard expected of a registered nurse.”

Lancashire Care, which runs The Harbour in Marton, is responsible for mental health care across the county.

Mr Dawes, a bank staff nurse, started working there in 2012. It was during his first shift at the trust’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service at the Cove Hospital in Heysham that this incident happened on May 21 last year.

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The patient was being “physically and verbally aggressive towards members of staff”, and Mr Dawes thought he was “going to be assaulted” and said he pushed the boy at “shoulder or neck height or side of [the] head”.

Lancashire Care said the incident was a “rare and regrettable case” and said MrDawes was “removed from our bank register”.