Nurse suspended after failings at Newtown care home

A nurse who worked at The Oaks Care Home in Newtown has been suspended after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) found her unfit to practise due to serious failings in her role.

Sarah Rowley, who became Clinical Lead in February 2022, was dismissed in August 2022 after several incidents raised concerns about patient safety. Following a hearing in December 2024, the NMC ruled that her actions put vulnerable residents at risk and fell far below the expected professional standards.

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The NMC investigated ten charges of misconduct against Ms. Rowley, involving incidents between December 2021 and August 2022. Five of these charges were proven. Key points include:

• Leaving a shift without cover: In June 2022, Ms. Rowley left her shift early, before another nurse arrived, which meant the care home was left without any nursing staff.

• Failure to arrange night shift cover: On July 13-14, 2022, Ms. Rowley failed to arrange cover for a night shift, despite being informed in advance that a nurse was unavailable.

• Medication errors: On July 14, 2022, Ms. Rowley failed to give prescribed lorazepam to a resident and falsely recorded that she had administered it. A nurse later checked the medication and found the box unopened.

• Failure to document medication: In June 2022, Ms. Rowley forgot to record the application of a transdermal patch for a resident in the controlled drugs book, an error she admitted during the investigation.

Several charges were dismissed due to a lack of evidence. For example, the panel found no proof that Ms. Rowley had failed to refer a resident with weight loss to a dietician.

Suspension and Recommendations

The NMC panel concluded that Ms. Rowley’s misconduct was serious and that she had shown no signs of understanding or improving her behavior. As a result, she was suspended from practising for six months. Additionally, an interim suspension order of 18 months was issued in case she decides to appeal the decision.

The panel recommended that Ms. Rowley complete further training and submit evidence of improvement before she can return to nursing. Suggestions included:

• Writing a reflective statement about how her actions affected residents and their families.
• Providing references and proof of any work undertaken during her suspension.
• Completing training on medication handling and proper record-keeping.