Nursing and Midwifery Council determination — substantive hearing
NMC panel strikes off nurse Vigneswari Ganason over theft of patient's bank card
The Nursing and Midwifery Council's Fitness to Practise Committee has struck off adult nurse Vigneswari Ganason following her conviction for stealing a hospital patient's bank card and using it for purchases. The panel found her dishonesty incompatible with remaining on the register.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 23 April 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026
Erasure (struck off the register)
Added to MedicWatch: 11 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 Vigneswari Ganason, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 14I3139E).
Decision date: 23 April 2026 · Hearing started 22 April 2026 and ended 23 April 2026
In plain English
The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee found that adult nurse Vigneswari Ganason's fitness to practise was impaired by reason of her conviction for stealing a bank card belonging to a patient in her care and using it for several transactions. The panel imposed a striking-off order, finding her dishonesty fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register, and an 18-month interim suspension order pending any appeal.
Charges
That she, a registered nurse, on 10 October 2024 was convicted of stealing a bank card, of a value unknown, belonging to Patient A between 6 January 2023 and 7 January 2023 at London in the Borough of Westminster, contrary to sections 1(1) and 7 of the Theft Act 1968, and that in light of the above her fitness to practise is impaired by reason of her conviction. The charge was found proved by way of her admissions.
Findings
The panel found the charge proved by admission and determined that her fitness to practise is currently impaired on the grounds of both public protection and the public interest. It found that she stole and used the bank card of a vulnerable patient she was personally caring for, that her dishonesty was difficult to remediate, and that it could not be satisfied the lapse of judgment would not happen again. The panel imposed a striking-off order, finding her actions fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register, and imposed an interim suspension order for 18 months to cover any potential appeal period.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
She pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity in the criminal proceedings; she repaid the amount she stole from Patient A; she apologised to Patient A; she completed the orders imposed on her by the criminal court; she demonstrated remorse and reflected on her actions; and there is an absence of financial benefit, as although she took the money, she repaid it in full.
Aggravating factors
Abuse of a professional position; exploitation of the vulnerability of Patient A; deliberate dishonesty; the meaningful sum of money stolen; the impact on Patient A; and that the offence was committed in a clinical setting.
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.
Spot something incorrect?
If a fact on this page is wrong, or you believe the page should not be published, please submit a correction or takedown request.