Nurse 'left vulnerable patients unsupervised'

Cheryl Lewis (50) also used excessive force to control a patient and ordered another to stop looking down her top, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

Rachna Gokani, for the NMC, said the blunders occurred between March 2007 and November 2008 when Lewis worked at the Elliott Centre, a day care facility in Badsley Moor Lane, Clifton.

Lewis was caught by manager Dawn Daveran wearing gloves and holding bin liners in the process of clearing out the boot of her car with the stereo was turned up loud, Ms Gokani claimed.

At the time, Lewis should have been looking after two regular visitors to the centre, referred to only as patients C and D.

One had moderate to severe learning difficulties and was wheel-chair bound and the other suffered from severe mental and physical disabilities.

Both were entirely dependent on staff and needed to be watched at all times.

The nurse, who qualified in 2003, also faces a series of other allegations relating to her employment at Rotherham Community Health Services NHS Trust.

On March 2, 2007, she is said to have used excessive force to calm down a client, referred to only as patient A.

Lewis, attended the proceedings yesterday and was represented, admitted this allegation, but denied all of the other charges against her.

Her counsel Mick Barraclough advised the panel that she also accepted her ability to work was impaired at the time, but believed it no longer remained so.

The hearing in central London continues.