AN agency nurse has been banned from working unsupervised after a Lostock Gralam care home raised concerns about his performance.

Christopher Foxall was handed a 24-month supervision order by the Nurse and Midwifery Council, after misconduct charges were brought.

A fitness to practice panel found that Mr Foxall – an agency nurse with Search Consultancy Ltd – had administered incorrect doses of medicine during his time at Avandale Lodge Care Home in Manchester Road.

A panel highlighted poor record-keeping and ‘repeated failings’ in Mr Foxall’s conduct while working at Avandale Lodge in November 2017, as well as another nursing home around the same time.

He accepted and was reprimanded on all but two charges, with those proved including giving incorrect dosages to Avandale Lodge patients or failing to keep record of medication administered.

Avandale Lodge immediately raised complaints with the agency, which saw Mr Foxall taken off their books.

The NMC report said: “The panel considered that patients were placed at risk of harm by Mr Foxall’s poor practice in medicines administration and record keeping.”

It added: “The panel recognised that Mr Foxall made admissions to some of the charges. However, the panel considered that Mr Foxall had demonstrated only limited insight.

“Mr Foxall did not appear to recognise the potential harm that could have been caused to patients as a result of his conduct. Furthermore, he offered no apology for his actions nor demonstrated any genuine remorse for them.”

In weighing up their decision, the committee said a number of residents were put at risk of harm, with a lack of insight shown.

They also pointed to Mr Foxall’s ‘long and unblemished career as a registered nurse prior to these concerns’.

The report concluded: “Although there had been a clear breach of a fundamental tenet of the profession, and that professional standards need to be upheld and promoted, the public interest is also satisfied by trying to assist a good nurse, who otherwise has had an unblemished career, to return to practise.”

The order made would see Mr Foxall supervised at all times while at work for a period of two years.

Mr Foxall has indicated to the committee that he has not worked since February 2018 and has no ambition to return to the job.

Avandale Lodge scrapped its nursing provision last summer, after failing to recruit permanent members of staff and finding inconsistency in its agency workers.