21 June 2012 Last updated at 14:24 ET

Wrexham tea break midwife Helen Bannister struck off

A midwife who went for a tea break while a patient was giving birth has been struck off the medical register.

Helen Bannister, an experienced and once highly regarded delivery nurse at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, retired in 2010 before she could be sacked.

She also allowed a woman with pre-eclampsia to be discharged, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard.

It said she would be a danger to the public if allowed to work and ruled her fitness to practise had been impaired.

The hearing was told that over a 10-year period she committed a series of serious errors, including tampering with medical records three times.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel chairman Matthew Fiander said: "Helen Bannister made a number of serious failures in carrying out her duty.

"While she has expressed remorse, she has expressed limited insight into her failings.

"These are long-standing and entrenched problems. The profession's reputation would be at great risk should she be allowed to continue to practise.

"She posed serious harm to her patients and as a result her name shall be removed from the medical register."

An NMC panel heard that in 2000 Mrs Bannister left a patient, who had had an epidural, to go for a tea break.

Senior midwife Dawn Cooper, who used to look up to Mrs Bannister during the early stages of her career, described her former colleague's absence as dangerous.

"You may leave the room maybe to grab a piece of equipment for a couple of seconds, but never to go for a cup of tea," she added.

"Especially when a patient is in the second stage of labour and has had an epidural - because they may not be aware they are pushing."

It was later discovered she had tampered with entries on the woman's medical file made by one of her colleagues.

The mistake saw Mrs Bannister subject to disciplinary proceedings, and she underwent a six-month period of being supervised at work.

High blood pressure

However, two years later she then adjusted a separate patient's medical records, over-writing information that dated back to 1985.

Although the panel was told both "corrections" had not been done in an attempt to hide any wrongdoing, the entries had broken strict rules on medical records.

The two incidents were dealt with "in house", but were referred to the NMC when in 2010 Mrs Bannister had failed to recognise that a patient who was 25 weeks pregnant had pre-eclampsia.

The condition, which includes dangerously high blood pressure, can be fatal to mother and baby.

Mrs Bannister was suspended following an investigation by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, but retired shortly after.

Gross misconduct

Although she had told officials she had "no desire" to return to work ever again, they only had her word for it and a fitness to practise investigation got under way.

Had they not pursued the case, in theory Mrs Bannister could have worked in the nursing profession if she came out of retirement.

During a previous hearing Deborah Edwards, assistant head of midwifery, said Mrs Bannister's mistakes were so serious she would have been sacked for gross misconduct had she not quit.

Mrs Bannister, who has not been present at any of the hearings and also chose not to be represented, has 28 days in which to appeal against the verdict.

Betsi Cadwaladr midwifery director Jill Galvani praised hospital staff for bringing Mrs Bannister's shortcomings to their attention.

"The safety of women in labour is our first concern," she said.

"I am confident midwives in north Wales provide excellent care."