A prison nurse has been struck off the register after making a series of medical errors. Yvonne Rumsey started working at HMP Bullwood Hall near Hockley, Essex in the 1980s. Recent investigations by a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), however, found that she made a number of errors with anti-depressant and heroine substitution medications in 2011 and 2012.

Mrs Rumsey was asked to leave her position in the prison in 2012 and has now been struck off the council’s register completely. Investigations by the NMC found that on one occasion she prescribed an inmate at the now shut HMP Bullwood Hall an unknown amount of the heroine substitute Buprenorphine. On a second occasion, she wrongly prescribed a patient with antidepressants, and on a third occasion, gave an inmate the same medication despite having signed a chart saying it had already been administered.

“capable of causing harm to patients”

The council said that they had to strike her name off the register because her “actions were capable of causing harm to patients”. The conduct panel drew up a “conditions of practice” order for Mrs Rumsey in 2013, before suspending her completely in 2014. The striking off order will come into effect on 11 April when the existing suspension order expires.

It was heard that Mrs Rumsey does not plan to return to nursing.

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