A SENIOR nurse who worked at a care home at the centre of a manslaughter investigation has been struck off for misconduct.

Marian Buruiana was employed as a registered nurse by Four Seasons Health Care at Brockwell Court Care Home, in Consett, County Durham, where resident Jennie Bryant, 89, died on June 28 last year.

Brian Moon, 72, who also lived at the home has been charged with manslaughter and faces a trial.

Unrelated allegations against Mr Buruiana subsequently surfaced and he was sacked in July last year, following disciplinary proceedings. He had been on probation since May.

Now the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) has found that his fitness to practise was impaired by reason of his misconduct.

The complaints against him included regularly sleeping on duty while being the only qualified nurse in the building at night.

Mr Buruiana wrote to the NMC that he could not attend the hearing because of a “delicate situation” at home, believed to be in Romania.

The hearing was told he left the medication trolley unlocked and unsupervised more than once. This was against policy as residents with dementia could accidentally take the medicines.

Mr Buruiana also dishonestly asked a colleague to countersign the administration of a strong painkiller which had not been given to a patient.

On another occasion he failed to ensure that the hoist lifting a patient was correctly secured. He just shrugged when she fell out, the hearing was told.

The panel noted: “Mr Buruiana ignored the advice of colleagues on a number of occasions and failed to maintain the safety or dignity of those in his care”.

A spokesman for Four Seasons said: “After care staff raised concerns, Mr Buruiana was subject to a company disciplinary process that led to his dismissal.

“The home manager notified the Nursing and Midwifery Council and this led to the NMC hearing.

“We have a whistle-blowing policy that encourages residents, relatives and staff to raise any concerns they may have about any aspect of care or conduct. We are grateful to our care staff for their vigilance in raising their concerns.”

Debbie Westhead, the CQC’s deputy chief inspector of adult social care in the North, said: “Following the tragic death of Mrs Bryant in June 2014, CQC liaised closely with the police and the local authority safeguarding team to ensure the safety and well-being of the people living at Brockwell Court Care Home. An unannounced inspection took place at the home in July 2014, where inspectors found people were safe and that their needs were being fully met.”