Patrice Vernon v Nursing and Midwifery Council

Facts

The appellant, Patrice Vernon, became a registered nurse in March 2015. In January 2019 she began a 12-month postgraduate Specialist Community Public Health Nursing course at Buckingham New University, placed with and employed by Achieving for Children (AFC), a not-for-profit children's services provider owned by several local authorities. By May 2019 AFC had concerns about her performance and put her on an action plan; her community practice teacher, Ms Jo McDonnell, was never willing to sign her off as safe to visit families independently. Her employment was terminated on 18 September 2019 for lack of progression, and the University confirmed she could not proceed to the consolidation phase. Thereafter she approached other health organisations for self-funded placements, securing short placements with Royal Wolverhampton Hospital Trust and Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and submitted to the University documents bearing what purported to be her practice teacher's signature and comments. Following a referral from the Black Country Trust in January 2020, the Nursing and Midwifery Council brought fitness to practise proceedings. A panel of the Fitness to Practise Committee sat over 16 days between May 2023 and May 2024, found five instances of dishonesty proved, directed that she be struck off and imposed an 18-month interim suspension order. She appealed to the Administrative Court under the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, appearing in person.