A nurse at Northwick Park Hospital who left a patient sitting on a toilet with the door open alongside a string of other failures has been told she can return to nursing.

Karen Blake failed to maintain the woman’s dignity while on duty or recognise another patient’s condition was deteriorating while bathing him, the Nursing and Midwifery Council was told.

She also failed to check a patient’s chart before starting a medication round in April 2013, touched medication with her bare hands, then failed to complete the drug round in a normal time.

The NMC panel heard other failures included her not checking a patient’s allergies when administering medication, as well as not checking if the patient could take medication themselves.

She also disposed of a used apron in a domestic waste bin, when it should be placed in clinical waste and failed an oral drug assessment during April 2011.

Blake told the panel she had been reading NMC’s Standards for the administration of medication, and attended a course to improve.

But she added she had learned nothing from this, saying it had only reinforced what she already knew.

The panel found that her actions showed a lack of competence and inability to improve and Blake must now work under certain conditions.

These include passing an NMC practise programme, working under supervision, and notifying the NMC of any nursing appointment she takes in the UK or elsewhere.

NMC panel chair Pamela Ormerod said: “There remains a risk of repetition of your previous failings.

“Until you have demonstrated your ability to safely administer medication in practice, you could not be said to be fit to practise without restriction.”

Blake has been handed an 18 month conditions of practise order and a replace suspension order on expiry.