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Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey may not face dishonesty accusation in misconduct hearing

Misconduct hearing examining claims nurse allowed a lower body temperature to be recorded when she returned from Africa

Hilary Duncanson,Tom White
Tuesday 13 September 2016 12:08 BST
Pauline Cafferkey (right), with the Royal Free Hospital's Breda Athan, senior matron and high lvel isolation unit lead, and Dr Michael Jacobs, consultant in infectious diseases
Pauline Cafferkey (right), with the Royal Free Hospital's Breda Athan, senior matron and high lvel isolation unit lead, and Dr Michael Jacobs, consultant in infectious diseases

The nurse who survived Ebola may not be charged over claims she acted dishonestly.

A misconduct hearing is under way to examine claims that a nurse who survived Ebola allowed an incorrect temperature to be taken as she returned to the UK from Africa.

Pauline Cafferkey, 40, was infected with the virus while working in Sierra Leone in December 2014.

The nurse, from Cambuslang near Glasgow, was accused of allowing a lower temperature to be recorded during checks on her return to Heathrow from the West African country.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) examined the allegations during a two-day hearing and has said Ms Cafferkey's judgement may have been impaired due to her illness and has no dishonesty case to answer, according to the BBC. The misconduct hearing's panel has not formally decided whether to drop the dishonesty allegation or not.

Ms Cafferkey travelled to Sierra Leone at the height of the Ebola crisis to work with the sick.

She returned to London and then travelled on to Scotland before being diagnosed, and spent almost a month being treated in an isolation unit at London's Royal Free Hospital.

The volunteer recovered, but was readmitted to hospital on two separate occasions after suffering complications linked to the disease, and at one stage fell critically ill.

The hearing in Edinburgh was due to be held in public, but Ms Cafferkey's lawyer asked for it to take place in private to protect her client.

The NMC has decided to hear the charges against Ms Cafferkey as well as an agreed statement of facts.

It will be decided later on Tuesday on whether the full hearing should be held in private.

The NMC has the power to strike workers off the professional register.

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