Hearing of Shropshire school nurse accused of giving drug to allergic student is postponed

Suzie Perry denies administering the student with Sudafed Sinus that contained ibuprofen while at Concord College, a boarding school in the grounds of Acton Burnell Castle south of Shrewsbury.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) alleges that, on January 17, 2020, the student – referred to as Patient A – told Mrs Perry that he had nasal congestion and a headache.

“Patient A had asthma and is allergic to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which would include ibuprofen,” said James Edenborough, representing the NMC at a fitness to practise substantive hearing.

“Mrs Perry administered Sudafed with ibuprofen, which was not clinically appropriate because of the allergy.”

The hearing heard that paramedics were called. Mrs Perry denies all the charges.

It is alleged that at 12.09pm on January 17, 2020, she recorded giving Patient A Sudafed Sinus with ibuprofen, which was in a red box. But at 1.34pm on the same day, she recorded on the patient’s tracker/medical notes that she gave him a blue box because he is asthmatic.

Therefore, the NMC claims that Mrs Perry’s actions were dishonest in that she knew she had given the patient the red box, and sought to mislead others to believe it was a blue box.

Four days later an investigatory meeting was held in which, according to the NMC, Mrs Perry stated she had checked through the medical notes and Patient A had not had the blue Sudafed previously, when she knew this was not correct. Therefore, Mrs Perry is accused of being dishonest in that she knew he had previously been administered the blue box and sought to conceal that she had given him the red one.

Because of her alleged actions, the NMC says that Mrs Perry’s fitness to practise is impaired by reason of her misconduct.

The hearing was due to run until January 19. However, it was postponed by the panel late last week and will therefore not continue as scheduled.

A new date will be set in due course.