King's Mill nurse's English '˜so poor that staff had to mime at her'

Antonella Indrizzi took a job at Sherwood Forest NHS Foundation Trust after answering an overseas recruitment campaign in Italy in February 2015.

But her colleagues soon found her grasp of the English language was of concern.

There were numerous incidences of patients refusing to have her look after them due to her “extremely poor” language skills, a committee heard.

One colleague told the Nursing and Midwifery Council that sometimes Ms Indrizzi would look at her like she did not understand what she saying.

It led to her having to point with her hands and mime, while explaining verbally, in a bid to make sure Ms Indrizzi knew what to do.

She had also misinterpreted medical terms on the ward where she worked and did not communicate effectively with patients.

One had had to call for help because she was upset and, despite trying, Ms Indrizzi had been unable to find the words to reassure her.

Instead, she had told the patient to “be quiet”, according to a ward leader at the hospital.

Ms Indrizzi had worked as a healthcare support assistant at the hospital, but was a registered nurse, the committee heard.

But she has now been struck off after her case went before the NMC’s conduct and competence committee.

The committee panel said she had been given chances to improve her English, but refused to take the IELTS internationally recognised English language test.

Her fitness to practise as a nurse was “impaired”, the committee said.

“The panel has concluded that her lack of knowledge is such that she has in the past put patients at unwarranted risk of harm,” it continued.

“Moreover, it would have been liable to bring the profession into disrepute.

“Although her lack of knowledge of English is capable of remediation, she has yet to take the IELTS assessment as a step towards achieving this and does not show any insight into the need to do so.

“Further, there was nothing in the evidence to reassure the panel that Ms Indrizzi would in the future comply with reasonable requests to take such an assessment.

“As a consequence, the panel cannot be satisfied that her knowledge of English has reached or will reach the necessary standard.”

It added: “In all the circumstances, the panel was of the view that a striking off order is the only appropriate order that would be sufficient to protect the public interest.”