Press Release

HPC suspends Dietitian for a period of one year

A Panel of the Conduct and Competence Committee met on 19th October 2006 to consider the case of Wendie McNabb. The Panel heard the allegation that the registrant's fitness to practice was impaired by reason of her misconduct and lack of competence in relation to record keeping whilst employed at Altnagelvin Hospitals Health and Social Services Trust. Ms McNabb was not present at the hearing nor was she represented.

The Panel considered all the evidence and was of the opinion that Ms McNabb’s record keeping was inadequate and well below the standard required by a registered health professional. The Panel found that the allegation that the registrant’s fitness to practise was impaired by reason of lack of competence was well founded but that the first part of the allegation, namely that her fitness to practice was impaired by reason of misconduct was not well founded. In particular the Panel considered that the standard of record keeping was in breach of HPC’s Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics numbers 1,7,10 and 16 and the Standards of Proficiency for Dietitians numbers 1a.6 and 2b.5.

Chair of  the Panel, Paul Archer said..... "The evidence paints a picture of a registrant who, whilst clinically capable, lacked basic record keeping skills. Indeed the registrant in her letter dated 26th August 2005 clearly acknowledged her deficiencies in her record keeping and the consequences to patient care because of this.

"In view of the serious inadequacy in record keeping which breached a number of standards, the Panel has decided to suspend Ms McNabb’s registration for a period of one year".  

The Health Professions Council is a UK wide health regulator set up to protect the public. It sets standards for thirteen health professions. The HPC only registers people who meet its standards for their professional skills, behaviour and health, and will take action against people who do not.