Nursing and Midwifery Council determination — substantive hearing
NMC imposes practice conditions on Shehnilabanu Farukbhai Pindhariya
The NMC imposed 18-month conditions after a competence hearing. Several allegations were not proved, and the panel acknowledged shortcomings in workplace support and her later success in competence tests.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 16 September 2026 · Updated 22 September 2026
Conditions on practice (practising with restrictions) — 18 months
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What does “practising with restrictions” mean?
Conditions of practice allow the practitioner to keep working but only subject to specific restrictions — for example, supervision, limits on certain procedures, or required reporting to the regulator.
Concerning Shehnilabanu Farukbhai Pindhariya, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 24L0225O).
Decision date: 16 September 2026 · Hearing started 7 September 2026 and ended 16 September 2026
In plain English
The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee imposed 18-month conditions on Shehnilabanu Farukbhai Pindhariya after finding competence failings during a probationary role. Several allegations were not proved. The panel acknowledged shortcomings in mentoring and a development plan, possible communication barriers, and her subsequent success in NMC competence tests. It considered suspension disproportionate and required supervised practice with one NHS employer in a generalist setting, with interim conditions covering the appeal period.
Charges
The case concerned competence during a probationary Band 4 role between August and November 2024, before UK nursing registration. Proved particulars concerned communication and consent, patient safety and assessment, prioritisation, time management and clinical knowledge. Charges 1(c), 2, 3(e), 4(a)(iii) and 6(d)–(g) were not proved, including alleged failures to escalate hypoglycaemia and elevated potassium, stopping a syringe pump and supporting an endotracheal tube. Charge 1(b) was proved only for 12 August, not 28 September; charge 5(c) was proved on evidence before 28 October rather than that day's evidence.
Findings
The NMC panel found lack of competence and impairment on public protection and public interest grounds. It assessed the proved failings against the expected probationary Band 4 standard, drew no adverse inference from non-attendance and rejected some allegations or supporting hearsay. It noted that Ms Pindhariya had subsequently passed the NMC competence tests and considered suspension disproportionate. It imposed 18-month conditions requiring one NHS employer in a generalist environment, no specialist or nurse-in-charge work, direct supervision in specified clinical areas until assessed competent, same-shift supervision, a development plan and fortnightly meetings. Matching interim conditions cover the appeal period; absent an appeal, the substantive order replaces them 28 days after written notification.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
• Ms Pindhariya was provided with feedback, but this was not codified into a single, coherent development plan • Ms Pindhariya was not provided with a consistent mentor for the duration of her probationary period • It is possible that cultural and language issues may have been a barrier to Ms Pindhariya making herself understood and/or having the confidence to fully express herself in the workplace • Ms Pindhariya was placed in a high-acuity area
Aggravating factors
• Pattern of failings over an extended period • Repeated safety/critical failings despite feedback and support • Limited insight demonstrated during the probation period • Patient safety risk in a high-acuity (critical care) environment • Impact on patients and colleagues • Minimal progress despite enhanced support • Failed to properly engage with colleagues when they raised concerns with Ms Pindhariya about her performance (nodded her head to indicate that information was understood when her subsequent performance indicated it was not understood)
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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