Cambs Nurse Struck Off For Patient Loans

Sindiswa Nkosi, 56, a community psychiatric nurse, maintained an "inappropriate relationship'' with a patient.

She also received two loans, breaching the code of conduct, a Nursing and Midwifery Council panel sitting in London ruled.

The conduct and competence committee panel found that between October and December 2006 Ms Nkosi, who was working as a registered nurse for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health NHS Trust, accepted and subsequently cashed a cheque for £8,000 from the patient.

The panel also found that she engaged in an "inappropriate relationship'' with him between July 2006, when she became responsible for his care and September 2007, despite being instructed at a meeting not to see her patients.

The warning came the month after Ms Nkosi attended patient A's home in July 2007 while not on duty and soaked her feet in a bowl of water. She also made use of his landline, disclosed personal information about herself and her family and undertook shopping for him.

She accepted a further sum of money of around £8,593 from patient A in September 2007, paid by him through a money transfer, then allowed him to visit her flat in January 2008.

The panel determined that Ms Nkosi's fitness to practise was impaired by reason of her misconduct.

It noted she had paid one of the loans back and disclosed she had "serious personal and financial difficulties'' at the time of the events.

The panel determined it was also necessary to impose an interim suspension order of 18 months to cover the appeal period.