Former Shropshire ward manager who colleagues described as 'intimidating' will have to work under strict conditions

A former Shropshire ward manager who colleagues described as being intimidating will have to work under strict conditions for a year.

Debbie Povall was previously in charge of the Powys ward at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen, near Oswestry.

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Between 2018 and 2019, concerns were raised regarding Mrs Povall’s conduct towards both patients and staff.

Last August, a fitness to practice hearing commenced to consider various charges that Ms Povall faced. However, due to several postponements, it only concluded on April 7.

Ms Povall admitted failing to preserve patient safety by working excessive hours, and sending a text message about a staff member, referred to as “Colleague C”, saying “I had to stop myself from [sic] as I would rather gouge her eyeballs out and shove them down her throat”.

However, she denied all other allegations.

This included telling Colleague C “you could have apologised” after the latter arrived late, and being aggressive in her tone to her when the colleague tried to step in to help with an INR machine that checks the thinness of blood.

The panel, however, found those charges proven.

They didn’t, however, find that Ms Povall’s actions caused Colleague C to bring a grievance and resign.

The other charges found to be proven were that Ms Povall:

• Failed to demonstrate appropriate standards of leadership in that she failed to ensure staffing levels were appropriate
• Declined to assist a colleague with a patient’s bypassed catheter and requested for him to continue with observations instead
• Regarding a patient who had not passed urine, told a colleague, ‘to leave the patient and she will wee’ rather than request a bladder scan
• Said “you need to get him [a patient] home tomorrow”, or words to that effect knowing that the patient had low haemoglobin and required a blood transfusion.

Ms Povall accepted the panel’s findings, admitting that she behaved inappropriately.

The panel concluded that all of the proven facts amounted to misconduct, apart from Ms Povall telling Colleague C “you could have apologised” when she arrived late.

Last January, the panel’s chair, Richard Weydert, told Mrs Povall that her fitness to practice remained impaired, but was limited specifically to charges that were clinical matters.

He added that she was “essentially remediated” regarding the concerns raised in her conduct towards Colleague C, as well as working excessive hours and failing to ensure staffing levels were adequate.

“But there is an outstanding impairment going forward because we’ve found you’ve not fully remediated on the clinical charges as yet,” said Mr Weydert.

An interim order was therefore imposed ahead of last Tuesday’s resumption which consider what sanctions Ms Povall would face.

Representing the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Nina Dunn requested for a conditions of practice order lasting three years. This, she said, would allow Ms Povall to fully remediate, especially as her current role doesn’t involve dealing with patients in an acute setting.

Ms Nunn said there was a pattern of misconduct over a period of time, and Ms Povall had shown “limited insight” in relation to some of the charges.

However, there were some mitigating factors, added Ms Dunn. This included an early admission of the facts to some of the charges, and an apology to Colleague C.

Since leaving RJAH, Ms Povall has worked as healthcare assessor for the Department for Work and Pensions. She told the panel that her employer has been fully supportive, and she has identified colleagues who could supervise her moving forward.

Ms Povall added that she doesn’t recognise the person she was during 2018/19, saying she was “burnt out and tired”.

Taking full responsibility for her actions and reactions, Ms Povall said she has since undertaken counselling and talking therapy techniques, and is “heartbroken” about what happened during her time at RJAH.

The panel decided to impose a conditions to practice order that lasts one year, which will be reviewed before it expires.

In the meantime, there will be an 18-month interim order which covers the 28 day appeal period.