Caution for nurse who hid file on patient

The property was only found by chance by his landlady's daughter after he left his flat in Exmouth without notice, the Nursing and Midwifery Council's professional conduct committee heard.

Alan Taylor, 44, of Colne, did not attend the central London hearing, where he is accused of interfering with an investigation in relation to abuse at the learning disability home, Amberwood Nursing Home, at Exeter Road, Exmouth, between January and February 2001.

He was said to have removed a patient file from his office and made a tape recording of staff and patients bathing before leaving his job and the home he shared with his girlfriend.

Solicitor to the NMC Margaret Bromley said investigators were brought into the home alongside social services and the police after police had received an anonymous phone call saying a patient had been abused.

The matron in charge of the home, Nicholas Higgins, had already conducted an investigation into an allegation of abuse against one patient, "B", after she was found to have bruising on her lower legs, but that investigation had unearthed no evidence of abuse.

The file containing staff statements and the care plan at the 24 bed home had been locked away.

Mr Higgins had not noticed it was gone until a police constable contacted him and brought him back the file.

The committee decided to issue nurse Taylor with a caution rather than strike his name off the register.

It decided nurse Taylor did remove the file relating to an investigation of allegations of abuse against a patient without authority and that he was guilty of misconduct.

But the committee said the nurse was not guilty of misconduct in relation to the other allegation -- that he made or obtained a tape recording of staff and patients' conversations.

It said there was no proof the nurse had done so.

Nurse Taylor's caution will remain on the register for five years.