A nurse has been suspended from a Dartford Hospital for a year after jamming a toothbrush into the mouth of a dementia patient and threatening to floor another.

Nurse Matshediso Sebotso Mathuba was part of the specialist nursing team on a 16-bed ward at Littlestone Hospital Continuing Care Unit in Bow Arrow Lane.

As part of the Kent and Medway NHS Trust, the hospital looks after people with dementia and challenging behaviours.

Earlier this month the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard that Ms Mathuba was attending a man, known to the tribunal as “Patient K”, who had eaten and smeared faeces over his body.

After the patient refused to brush his teeth, a rough toothbrushing session was administered by Ms Mathuba on December 1.

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It has been concluded that the nurse’s behaviour was wholly unacceptable

The panel heard from witness “Ms 1” who said the scrubbing of his teeth “was a little bit more forceful and faster than normal,” on Patient K who suffered from both dementia and bipolar.

As a result of the excessive force used to scrub his teeth the NMC heard how the vulnerable man had coughed profusely after the brushing period.

The following day the council nursing council heard how Ms Mathuba shouted at another vulnerable patient known as “Patient J”, saying “Don’t do that or I will put you on the floor.”

Patient J had made a fist gesture and had stomped his foot at another patient before he was accompanied out the room.

As he reached the door, it was heard that the disgraced nurse rushed over to remove the patient from the room where Patient J shoved back “slightly”, receiving the sharp-tongued threat.

The panel noted that in two written statements by nurses “Ms 5” and “Ms 6” neither heard a threat made by Ms Mathuba but relied on nurses Ms 1 and “Ms 2” who had consistently maintained that she did in fact raise her voice saying she would put Patient J “to the floor”.

The panel concluded that the nurse’s behaviour was wholly unacceptable and fell far short of the conduct and standards expected of a registered nurse amounting to misconduct.

Under the circumstances, members were not satisfied that the risk to patients’ care in the future would not fall telling Ms Mathuba “You have not given the panel any assurance that you would not repeat your actions.

“The panel considered that your misconduct constituted inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour towards two vulnerable patients.”

Ms Mathuba had been employed as a Band 5 Staff Nurse at Littlestone since 2011.

The nurse has been suspended for 12 months in the interest of the public and its protection following the mid-April tribunal.

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