Nurse threatened to break drug dealer's spine
The Nursing and Midwifery Council heard 45-year-old Mark Lea had flown into a rage, after discovering the man (Patient X) had admitted himself to hospital where he worked in Manchester.
Lea believed he had done so to track down the woman, who was in intensive care.
Salim Hafejee, for the NMC, told the hearing in central London: “Lea said to a colleague that as a family, they were ready to kill him.
“She took this seriously because she was aware that Patient X had previously been assaulted by a member of Lea’s family.”
The dealer was moved to another ward under a false name to protect him, further enraging Lea, who hacked into a hospital computer to try and trace him – threatening to break his spine if he managed to locate him.
Lea, denies making the threats saying he only made one “unfortunate comment.”
He admits accessing the hospital computer but denies misconduct or that his fitness to practice is impaired.
Lea later told the hearing he was scared his niece’s life was in danger.
He explained the man had got his 25-year-old niece hooked on heroin and she was admitted to hospital on November 18 2004 with multiple abscesses on her lungs.
She was not expected to survive, and to keep her away from the dealer, the family decided to tell him she had died.
Lea said: “Somebody in the Trust had told Patient X the whereabouts of my niece who was lying unconscious and paralysed in intensive care. I wanted to know who had breached confidentiality. And a drug dealer had walked into intensive care looking for her, claiming to be a relative.
“This was dangerous. I thought she was at risk because Patient X by then knew where she was and was sending drug dealers to her.
“When I found out he had been discharged, I said with a degree of relief. Thank God, because if I had seen him walking down the corridor I would have broken his spine.
“It was a stupid comment but I was so angry that they could put her at risk.”
The hearing continues.
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