TWO Gwent nurses were found guilty of “shocking” failures in the standard of care they provided to patients at a nurse management hearing (NMC) yesterday.

Registered manager of Grosvenor Nursing Home in Abertillery, Susan Reynolds, and registered nurse and deputy manager Heather Hayward, of the same care home, have been found guilty of more than 20 counts of misconduct and impairment.

At the NMC hearing at Temple Court in Cardiff, a panel chaired by Michael Cann, decided that the charges against the two amounted to misconduct/ impairment and said this meant that their fitness to practice was impaired.

The panel heard how Reynolds, who was employed at Grosvenor Nursing Home, ("Grosvenor") as registered manager between November 20, 2002 and May 9, 2007, was guilty of charges including failing to ensure a system for effective hygiene and infection control was in place; failing to ensure that members of staff maintained accurate and detailed records of care provided to residents; failing to ensure that members of staff were changing the resident's continence pads on a sufficiently frequent basis thereby increasing the resident's risk of developing pressure sores.

Mr Cann said: “There has been shocking failures in standards of care to patients.

“Her misconduct was not isolated - it occurred over a period of time.

“Ms Reynolds fitness to practice was impaired and it remains impaired.”

The panel also heard how charges against Ms Hayward included her failure to ensure that a resident was provided with necessary pressure relieving equipment until approximately November 3, 2006; failing to ensure that adequate care plans were in place for that type of care; and failing to ensure that the resident received adequate nutritional intake.

The panel heard how both nurses had been contacted prior to the resumed hearing but neither was present and neither had representation.

Appropriate sanctions are due to be decided on today.