The Mental Health Reform organisation, which promotes improved services, has expressed concern about the failure of authorities to act quicker in the case of a nurse who engaged in inappropriate relationships with patients in two different centres.
Graham Stuart Brown has been struck off after being found guilty of professional misconduct by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
The board's fitness to practise committee found he engaged in inappropriate and intimate sexual contact with a patient in a child and adolescent service in 2008/09, and lied about the relationship when questioned about it, The Irish Times reported on Wednesday.
In 2010/2011, when working at a different facility for young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs, he engaged in a second inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable resident in his care. He was given several warnings by senior staff but resumed the relationship despite promises not to do so.
Asked why Mr Brown was allowed to remain in service for so long, the board issued a statement saying Mr Brown had been found guilty of “very serious and repeated episodes of professional misconduct”.
“Among the allegations proven against Mr Brown were allegations that while working in two different employments over a number of years, he had engaged in inappropriate relationships with service users.”
Without consent
However, the board refused to identify Mr Brown’s employer, saying it was precluded from doing so for legal reasons. A spokesman referred this newspaper to Section 38(5) of the Nurses Act, 1985. This says the findings of the fitness to practise committee shall not be made public without the consent of the person before it unless the person has been found guilty of professional misconduct.
Asked how this section prevented the board from identifying Mr Brown’s employer, a spokesman replied: “The board has got legal advice in the past as to what constitutes ‘findings’ and publishes all that is encompassed by that term based on this advice. The board cannot publish any more information.”
The Health Service Executive confirmed it was notified of the removal of “a named individual” from the register of nurses. A spokeswoman said “appropriate and necessary action was taken in response to this notification”.
Shari McDaid, director of Mental Health Reform, said the case raised questions about access to investigations for patients in the centres involved and called for more information to be made available. “It is quite concerning this case went on for the length of time that it did without being brought to the attention of the authorities.”
