Nurse cleared of bullying claims

A nurse from County Durham has been cleared of a catalogue of bullying allegations, including striking a female colleague.

Allan Harling, 55, of Langley Park, near Durham city, faced 11 allegations of professional misconduct relating to his work at Benfield nursing home in Consett.

He admitted two charges relating to allowing untrained staff to administer medication.

Mr Harling, who was sacked from his post, accused former colleagues of "inventing stories" about him.

Not proved

The allegations related to incidents between April 1997 and February 2000.

A resumed hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's professional misconduct committee, decided that nine of the allegations were not proved "beyond a reasonable doubt".

At an earlier hearing in September, Mr Harling told the committee he referred to a staff member as "garcon" when asking her to make a drink, but said this was a joke.

The committee cleared Mr Harling of behaving in a threatening manner to colleagues and of striking a female care assistant in the stomach with a ring binder.

'Credible witness'

He was also cleared of failing to ensure two colleagues received adequate support and of failing to arrange sufficient training, or of failing to follow a resident's care plan.

Committee chairwoman Elizabeth Rush said she found Mr Harling a "credible witness".

She added: "The committee are of the view that, given the particular facts in this case and in an environment where care was provided to rehabilitate patients to reach independence, Nurse Harling did not display conduct unworthy of a nurse."

He was cleared of misconduct in relation to the two allegations he admitted.

Mr Harling is now working as a GP liaison officer for a charity.