Nursing and Midwifery Council determination — review hearing
NMC panel strikes off nurse Sandra Young over dishonest patient records
The Nursing and Midwifery Council's Fitness to Practise Committee has replaced nurse Sandra Young's suspension with a striking-off order, finding she had shown insufficient insight into dishonesty over patient observations she recorded but never took, and that a risk of repetition remained.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 7 July 2026 · Updated 12 July 2026
Erasure (struck off the register)
Added to MedicWatch: 12 July 2026Report a correction
What does “struck off the register” mean?
Being struck off (the regulator calls this "erasure") removes the practitioner from the register. They are no longer permitted to practise this profession in the UK. Erasure can be reviewed after a minimum of five years, but is otherwise indefinite.
Concerning Sandra Marie Young, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 80A0180S).
Decision date: 7 July 2026 · Hearing started 7 July 2026
In plain English
The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee found that Sandra Young's fitness to practise remains impaired and replaced her suspension order with a striking-off order. The original findings included failing to take observations after a patient collapsed, dishonestly recording observations and an escalation she had not made, and watching TV on her phone on shift. The panel said she had provided no evidence of reflection or remediation and that a risk of repetition remained. The order takes effect on 12 August 2026.
Charges
The charges found proved by way of admission at the original substantive hearing were that, between 12 and 13 October 2022 in relation to Patient A, Miss Young failed to take observations following the patient collapsing; documented that the patient had a NEWS score of zero when she had not taken any observations; and documented that the patient had been escalated to the RMO when she had not done so. Her conduct in documenting the NEWS score and the escalation was found to be dishonest, in that she sought to mislead others that she had provided care when she knew she had not done so. It was also found proved that between 12 and 13 October 2022 she watched TV on her phone whilst on shift. Her fitness to practise was found impaired by reason of misconduct.
Findings
This was the first review of a substantive suspension order originally imposed for six months on 14 January 2026. The panel acknowledged that Miss Young had accepted her misconduct and apologised, which it considered demonstrated some insight consistent with her early admissions, but found there remained no evidence of reflection demonstrating an understanding of the impact of her misconduct on patients and the public, and concluded her insight was insufficient. It noted that none of the reflective evidence, training, remediation or testimonials identified by the original panel had been provided. Miss Young had stated by email dated 23 January 2026 that she intended to retire and had no intention of returning to nursing, but in the absence of supporting evidence or an application for voluntary removal the panel was not satisfied that this intention was sufficiently settled and could not rely on it when assessing the risk of repetition. Finding no material change since the original hearing and a continuing risk of repetition, the panel determined that fitness to practise remained impaired on public protection and public interest grounds. At sanction, it concluded that conditions of practice would not be workable and that a further period of suspension would serve no useful purpose. It considered whether to allow the registration to lapse under NMC guidance Rev-2h but decided this would permit readmission at any time and would not satisfy the overriding objective of public protection. The panel concluded that a striking-off order was the only appropriate and proportionate sanction, taking effect at the end of 12 August 2026.
Source
All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Nursing and Midwifery Council determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.
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