A Renfrewshire man with complex needs was hospitalised after swallowing an antiseptic cream, the care watchdog has revealed.
The incident in one of The Richmond Fellowship Scotland’s facilities in the local authority area, caused the man to vomit and posed a serious choke risk, investigators found.
A report into the incident was published this week by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the body which regulates the care sector.
It found the individual was left alone in a bathroom – contrary to their care plan – by complex needs practitioner Andrew Docherty and subsequently ingested an amount of Sudocrem.
Docherty admitted he left the en-suite bathroom “briefly” to retrieve the individual’s clothes from the bedroom.
The SSSC said that the service user vomited after swallowing the cream and, as he was lying down, there was a “serious risk” that he could have choked on his own sick.
He was taken to hospital where no further action was required and no long-term effects were noted.
When determining the appropriate sanction, SSSC noted that Docherty had “not shown any insight or remorse in respect of your part in the incident”, but pointed to his previous good history with the SSSC as a reason for leniency.
Docherty was given a warning to stay on his registration as a care worker for 12 months, which came into effect on October 3.
Describing how it came to the decision, the SSSC said: “We consider that members of the public would have concerns about you working with vulnerable people if no action was taken. It is important that proper standards of conduct and behaviour are seen to be upheld. We consider that this is a matter where a finding of impairment is required to reaffirm clear standards of professional conduct.”
Docherty was also ordered to take a refresher course in the SSSC codes of practice and health and social care standards.
He’s to report to SSSC with a reflective account demonstrating his understanding of the impact of his behaviour on others, and the standards expected of him as a registered worker. Richmond Fellowship Scotland supports around 2,500 people across Scotland with a broad range of needs to live as independently as possible in their own homes and in care facilities in their communities.
In Paisley it operates the Blackford, Rowan Wynd, and Queen Street services.
It also operates in Erskine at Flures Drive and offers supported living services in Johnstone.
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