Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) meets British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking (R) a
Stephen Hawking’s nurse, 61, of 8 years is struck off after probe finds she ‘failed to provide the care he deserved’ – as world-famous scientist’s family tell of relief that ‘others will not have to go through what they suffered’
The former nurse of Professor Stephen Hawking has been struck off after a professional standards panel found she failed to provide appropriate care to the world famous scientist.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said Patricia Dowdy ‘failed to provide the standards of good, professional care that we expect and Professor Hawking deserved’.
Details were witheld from the public with the hearing being held in private to protect Mrs Dowdy’s health and to keep private details of the professor’s private life.
However, charges against Mrs Dowdy, who worked for the Hawking family for 15 years included financial misconduct, dishonesty and not providing appropriate care.
Before his death in March 2018, Dowdy was often seen by his side.
The nurse was handed an interim suspension in March 2016 over her care of the theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who wrote ‘A Brief History of Time’.
The hearing was expected to last until March 21 but she was struck off, with the news being announced today.
The Mail on Sunday, which first reported the story, said the family of Prof Hawking had lodged a complaint which prompted the investigation into Mrs Dowdy.
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Patricia Dowdy (centre) and Stephen Hawking were seen together during his public appearances as she cared for him. However, her practice has now been slammed
Mrs Dowdy was not present at the NMC hearings and neither was her solicitor, Ian Persaud, according to NMC documents. The NMC deals with ‘fitness to practice’ and not criminal proceedings.
Rebecca Richardson, who presented the case for the NMC, said at the outset that the hearing should be held in private to prevent the identification of Prof Hawking.
But even after his name was made public in relation to the case, it continued in private.
The regulator has come under fire in recent days for deciding to hold its sessions on the case in private, barring journalists and other members of the public from attending.
The NMC documents said: ‘Ms Richardson submitted that the allegations against Mrs Dowdy are such that details of Patient A’s medical condition, his care and other personal needs, will all need to be openly discussed, as will details relating to his professional engagements and personal life.
‘Mrs Dowdy is well known to have been Patient A’s nurse. Ms Richardson submitted that publication of any information identifying both Mrs Dowdy and the details of the allegations against her, and/or the publication of any information relating to Patient A’s condition and personal life, could easily and foreseeably lead to Patient A being identified, even if his name is not openly mentioned in the hearing.’
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The family of Professor Hawking called for the review of the nurse over his care
She said the NMC was committed to maintaining the anonymity of patients even after they had died.
‘Ms Richardson submitted that Patient A’s right to anonymity, and his family’s right to privacy, outweighed the public interest in a public hearing,’ the documents added.
Ms Richardson also told the panel that all of the charges would potentially require open discussion of Patient A’s life and care needs ‘or, failing this, Mrs Dowdy’s own health, to which she was also entitled to privacy.’