Nursing and Midwifery Council determination — review hearing
Struck off the register
The regulator’s term: erasure
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 Cornelius Shaun O'Brien, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 97I0868S).
Decision date: 5 March 2026 · Hearing started 5 March 2026
In plain English
The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee found that Mr O'Brien remains impaired and replaced his existing six-month suspension order with a striking-off order. The panel noted he had continued to disengage with the regulator, had not provided evidence of insight, reflection or steps to strengthen his practice, and remained liable to repeat the failings found proved. The strike-off takes effect at the end of 14 April 2026, when the current suspension order expires.
Charges
The original charges concerned events on 15-16 October 2018 at a care home, where, after being told by two healthcare assistants that they had heard a popping or cracking sound when dressing Resident A, Mr O'Brien was alleged to have failed to record a physical examination, failed to record the concerns in the communications book, failed to complete an accident or incident form, failed to record the incident in the GP book and care plan, failed to escalate to a doctor or out-of-hours NHS, and failed to inform the next nurse at handover.
Findings
This was the second review of a substantive order originally imposed on 11 September 2024 (conditions of practice for 12 months), then replaced with a six-month suspension order on 29 August 2025. The panel found Mr O'Brien continues to disengage with the NMC, has not demonstrated insight, remorse, reflection, or steps to strengthen his practice, and remains liable to repeat matters of the kind found proved. It found his fitness to practise remains impaired on public protection and public interest grounds, and replaced the suspension order with a striking-off order to take effect at the end of 14 April 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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