Incompetent A&E Nurse Consistently Clocked Off Early
Mark Berry found to have skills of beginner despite 22 years in the job
The suspended nurse worked at A&E in St George's Hospital
April 3, 2025
An emergency nurse St. George’s Hospital has been suspended after leaving his unit understaffed by finishing multiple shifts early. Mark Barry was also found to have harmed patients through incompetence while employed by St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, over incidents ranging from 2016 to 2021. He is no longer employed by the trust.
A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel ruled Mr Barry’s fitness to practise as a registered nurse was impaired after holding hearings in March into his conduct. Colleagues raised concerns about Mr Barry’s ability to work safely and effectively during his former employment at the trust.
The panel considered an informal warning letter sent to Mr Barry in January 2017 which stated he had left the unit understaffed by leaving his shift early on multiple occasions. It ruled his actions fell significantly short of the standards expected of him and amounted to misconduct.
The panel said Mr Barry had also shown a lack of competence while working for the trust, after investigating allegations about his performance from 2016 to 2021. One witness claimed his competence was at the level of an ‘advanced beginner’ rather than a senior nurse of 22 years.
The panel found Mr Barry failed to arrange X-rays for two patients who were later diagnosed with fractures, including a person who had suffered a bike accident. It ruled he did not appropriately treat some patients’ wounds, which resulted in one person returning to the clinic bleeding as their wound had not been sutured.
The panel also found Mr Barry sent a patient away despite them having heart palpitations, while he had to be reminded to wash his hands and put on gloves before treating another patient. It ruled he consistently made errors in patient notes, including misdiagnosing injuries, and missed important factors.
The report said, “The panel finds that patients were put at risk and were caused physical and emotional harm as a result of Mr Barry’s lack of competence. The panel considered that multiple patients had to return to the trust to seek further care and treatment as a result of Mr Barry’s lack of competence.
“This caused actual harm to the patients involved and additionally resulted in an increase in the number of patients presenting for care on any shift which would be likely to cause further delays in patients obtaining the care needed.â€
It added, “Regarding insight, the panel considered that Mr Barry demonstrated no significant improvement or strengthening of his practice over the years he was given increased supervision and support from the trust. The panel had no information from Mr Barry as to his insight or remediation, and no examples of any further training he has carried out. Therefore the panel is of the view that there is a risk of repetition.â€
The panel decided to suspend Mr Barry from the register for 12 months. Another panel will review the order when it comes to an end, to decide whether to revoke it, confirm it or replace it with another order.