A DISTRICT nurse failed to demonstrate the standards of knowledge, skill and judgement required, a hearing concluded.

Judith Broadbent, 56, has been suspended for a year by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

After a series of blunders over a prolonged period, a panel of the Nursing and Midwifery Council found her fitness to practise was impaired by reason of her lack of competence.

Panel chairman Catherine Duthie said: "The panel has to consider whether the registrant competence is equal to the profession which now exists. The panel has concluded that there is an irremediable lack of competence."

Mrs Duthie said it was up to nurses to maintain their skills.

She added: "One of the obligations of a registered nurse is that she must maintain her professional knowledge and competence.

"In the panel's view she has not done this. The registrant should have moved with the profession. She has not."

Mrs Duthie said the panel were sympathetic with Broadbent.

She said: "It seems to the panel that the profession which she joined as an Enrolled Nurse moved away from her base of skill, knowledge and judgement which she had when she entered the profession."

Broadbent was found to have failed to demonstrate the standards of knowledge, skill and judgement required to practise without supervision as a D-grade community nurse between July 2002 and June 2004.

She was also found to have failed to demonstrate she was capable of working safely in the community without supervision on two occasions in May 2004.

Under NMC rules Broadbent's suspension must be reviewed before the year expires. If she remains suspended for more than two years the NMC can consider erasing Broadbent from the register, or placing conditions on her practice.

Broadbent had been working as a community nurse in Golcar since 2002 when her supervisors started to doubt her competence.

There had been complaints from patients for leaving bandages agonisingly tight.

Broadbent also failed to spot dangerous medical conditions and gave people medicines they were allergic to.

She was also said to have broken the rule of patient confidentiality by contacting a sick woman's family against her wishes.