Midwife struck off for failures

A BABY had to be resuscitated and rushed to the special care unit because of a former midwife's failings. Lynda Cantillon, 61, did not check the infant's pulse, a Nursing and Midwifery Council misconduct hearing was told.

She was struck off the register.

Another baby born in the Princess Elizabeth Hospital turned purple after Ms Cantillon had failed to check its heart rate.

The hearing was told that her conduct when she worked at the hospital between February and September 2003 had put six mothers at risk. Her failure to stitch a patient's wound following her giving birth had left her in agony for four months until the tear was discovered.

On another occasion, Ms Cantillon breached policy by failing to ensure that two midwives were present during a labour and a second one entered the delivery room only on hearing the woman's screams.

The panel found Cantillon guilty of poor record keeping, failing to carry out proper medical procedures, administering drugs without referring to records or consulting with colleagues and not checking bath water temperatures.

A hearing opened at St Pierre Park Hotel in November, but Ms Cantillon refused to attend saying she had no intention of returning to the profession having become disillusioned while working in Guernsey.

Panel chairman Moi Ali said three of the patients had suffered harm or potential harm.

'The incidents took place over seven months and during these times she was interviewed about practice issues on two occasions but her poor practices continued,' she said. 'In making this decision we bear in mind that harm or potential harm was done to the patients.'

She said the council had to have regard to public interest.

Ms Cantillon wrote a scathing letter to the council in which she criticised the PEH maternity unit, claiming that it functioned like a private hospital, adding that there was no democracy and money ruled.

None of the consultants were willing to encourage midwifery care in the unit, she claimed, and she felt like a square peg in a round hole.

Her move to Guernsey had been a mistake, made shortly after her mother died.

Ms Cantillon now lives in Barnet, North London.

A spokesman for the Health and Social Services Department said it was not policy to comment on individual cases, but said he believed that the actions taken by the department in this matter had been appropriate.

The department followed strict guidelines when recruiting any health and social care professional as well as best practice guidelines as laid down in the Department of Health Code of Practice in Recruitment.

Nurses were required to provide three references, one of which must be from the most recent employer and all were checked.

Professional qualifications also had to be verified.

Pre-employment checks into the criminal background of potential employees were carried out.

Three separate items giving proof of identity are required at interview.