Nurse struck off for drugs errors

A nurse who made repeated drugs blunders and gave one patient a massive overdose has been struck off.

Natasha Osoba, 30, was found guilty of a misconduct charge at a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing on Tuesday.

She was working at the Royal Memorial Hospital in Sittingbourne when she gave a patient 10 times the prescribed dose of his medication.

He required emergency treatment in a different ward after the blunder in April 2001, the NMC heard.

Osoba, from Sittingbourne, Kent, was given a final warning and put under supervision over an eight-week re-training programme.

Public protection

But she continued to make mistakes at the Sittingbourne hospital, even with the support of a dedicated mentor.

In November 2001, the NMC was told, she gave a patient double the prescribed dose of anti-depressants.

Osoba appealed to be allowed to continue in the profession she "loves", saying she was hard-working and conscientious.

But committee chairman Nancy Kirkland said they had decided to remove her name from the register even though in other respects she was a good nurse.

Miss Kirkland said: "We are left with serious concerns as to her basic competency in relation to the administration of medicines.

"We take the view that it is necessary for the protection of the public to remove her name from the register."