Nurse struck off for 'wide-ranging failures'
Getty ImagesA nurse has been struck off for repeated and "wide-ranging failures" in patient care.
Dorothy Onwuteaka, from Bournemouth in Dorset, was suspended in 2023 after a series of failings between 2019, when she qualified, and 2021.
These included falling asleep during a shift, errors in medication administration, delayed or missed observations and an inability to recognise when patients' care required escalation.
On 3 February, a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel found she had shown no improvement and remained a high risk to the public and therefore would be removed from the register from 12 March.
An NMC fitness to practice panel reviewed her case during a virtual hearing, as Onwuteaka did not attend and has not engaged with the regulator since March 2025.
The panel heard she had provided no evidence of training, remediation or reflection since the original suspension order was imposed in February 2023 and subsequently extended three times.
Given the seriousness and volume of the concerns, and the absence of any progress, the panel said it concluded there was still a high risk of harm if she were allowed to practice.
It found that further suspension would serve "no useful purpose" and said a striking-off order was the only way to protect the public and uphold confidence in the profession.
