Derbyshire nurse who 'wished patient was dead' is struck off

David Glenn Secada, who was employed by Derbyshire Health United, appeared before a Nursing and Midwifery Council disciplinary hearing.

The Council upheld a number of allegations against Secada, relating to conduct between May 2019 and March 2021. They included claims that the nurse had called a carer a “stony faced b***”, referred to a patient visit as a “waste of time” and that he wished the patient was dead, and that he one day might ‘get struck off for placing a pillow over an old person’s head’.

Secada had been working for DHU - a merger between Chesterfield-based DHC and Derby-based DMS - since February 2019 as a community nurse contracted for 16 hours per week. He was suspended by the organisation on June 3 of that year after a colleague had reported “significant concerns” relating to his conduct on the night shift of May 28.

It was also found proven that during the subsequent DHU internal investigation, Secada produced a falsified voice recording of his colleague - the carer he had verbally abused - by changing the timestamp of the recording.

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In reaching a determination that Secada should be struck off it was concluded that public trust in the nursing profession would be undermined by the conduct of Secada.

The panel found that he had engaged in ‘deliberate premeditated dishonesty which was sustained over a period of time’.

It was noted that whilst there are no concerns surrounding Secada’s clinical practice, and his action did not put patients at direct risk of harm, his comments were ‘unacceptable’ and often in relation to vulnerable patients.

The panel found: “There (is) a real risk of repetition, given the nature of your conduct and your limited insight.”

Given the seriousness of the upheld allegations it was directed that Secada should be struck off from the nursing register.

As a striking-off order cannot take effect until the end of a 28-day appeal period the panel also imposed an interim 18-month suspension order prohibiting Secada from practising until the outcome of any such appeal.