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| Secret filming nurse struck off | Secret filming nurse struck off |
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| A nurse who secretly filmed for the BBC to reveal the neglect of elderly patients at a hospital has been struck off for misconduct. | A nurse who secretly filmed for the BBC to reveal the neglect of elderly patients at a hospital has been struck off for misconduct. |
| Margaret Haywood, 58, filmed at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton for a BBC Panorama programme in July 2005. | Margaret Haywood, 58, filmed at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton for a BBC Panorama programme in July 2005. |
| She was struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council on Thursday after being a nurse for more than 20 years. | She was struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council on Thursday after being a nurse for more than 20 years. |
| The panel said she "followed the behest of the filmmakers... rather than her obligations as a nurse". | The panel said she "followed the behest of the filmmakers... rather than her obligations as a nurse". |
| Ms Haywood, of Liverpool, said: "I was convinced that it was the right thing to do at the time as, in fact, I had reported the issues and nothing had been done. | |
| "I felt I owed it to the people on the ward." | |
| 'Suspended her obligations' | |
| She was found guilty of misconduct on Wednesday following a fitness to practise hearing. | |
| The chair of the panel, Linda Read, said Ms Haywood had prioritised the filming and did not fulfil her obligations as a nurse. | |
| But the chair added that Ms Haywood had "suspended her obligations ... to protect and support the health of individual patients". | |
| Ms Haywood had admitted breaching patient confidentiality but denied her fitness to practise had been impaired. | |
| Elizabeth Bloor, the BBC programme's producer, told the hearing there had been "an over-arching public interest" to produce the Undercover Nurse documentary because Panorama had received up to 5,000 complaints about conditions. | |
| She also said that questions had been asked in the House of Commons about the issues investigated, and the Royal College of Nursing conducted research into patient dignity on hospital wards in the wake of its broadcast. | |
| In November the panel found no evidence that Ms Haywood broke the NHS Trust's policy on whistle-blowing by raising concerns about patient care in the documentary, or that she failed to assist colleagues when a patient was having a seizure. |