Care Home Nurse Struck Off Following Incidents of Sleeping on Duty

A nurse employed at a care home has been removed from the professional register after being discovered asleep on three separate occasions during night shifts. Laura Ellison was employed at the Middletown Grange care home, situated in Hailey, close to Witney, Oxfordshire, during March 2018. A colleague observed her asleep and leaning on paperwork during a shift on 12 March, followed by two further instances four days later where she was found sleeping on a sofa. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) stated in 2022 that Ms Ellison ought to be afforded an opportunity for improvement; however, the council indicated earlier this month that she had failed to make contact with them subsequent to three suspensions. A colleague initially reported discovering Ms Ellison asleep around 04:00 GMT on 12 March 2018, while searching for personnel during an emergency. The colleague roused Ms Ellison, and they subsequently resumed their duties. During the second occurrence, the two individuals were again working the night shift when Ms Ellison was discovered “with her feet up on the sofa, waking up” in a lounge at approximately 01:30. Around 03:00, the colleague stated she located her asleep once more on the sofa and captured a photograph. Subsequent to an initial six-month suspension in October 2022, she received a further nine-month suspension in April 2023. This suspension was subsequently prolonged for an additional year in December 2023. An NMC panel determined this month that Ms Ellison was “liable to repeat matters” and therefore had to be removed from the register based on the principle of public protection. The panel stated that its principal role is to safeguard patients and the broader public, making it “necessary to take action.”