Nursing and Midwifery Council determination — substantive hearing

NMC suspends Melissa Papandrea for 12 months over assessment and CPR failings

The panel proved three charges and found continuing impairment, while recognising developing insight and remediation. It did not establish that the failings caused the resident’s death.

MedicWatch editorial · Published 26 August 2026 · Updated 22 September 2026

Suspension (suspended from practice) — 1 year

Data last checked: 22 September 2026Report a correction

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The regulator imposed a fixed-term suspension in this decision. Its start date, appeal provisions and any later review affect whether it is currently in force. Check the official register for the practitioner's current status.

Concerning Melissa Papandrea, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 96J1052E).

Decision date: 26 August 2026 · Hearing started 7 April 2026 and ended 26 August 2026

In plain English

The NMC panel decided to suspend Melissa Papandrea for 12 months after proving three failings in assessing a resident and providing CPR. It found misconduct and continuing impairment, while recognising growing insight and steps towards remediation. The decision does not establish that her failings caused the resident’s death. A separate interim suspension covers the appeal period; the substantive suspension will be reviewed.

Charges

All three charges concerned the response to a care-home resident on 7 November 2022: failing to assess irreversible death properly, refusing a 999 call handler’s instruction to start CPR, and performing inadequate-depth chest compressions when asked by a first responder.

Findings

All three charges were proved and amounted individually and collectively to misconduct. Current impairment was found on public protection and public interest grounds. The panel recognised growing insight, remorse, training and positive testimonials, but found residual risk and insufficiently tested remediation. It imposed a reviewable 12-month suspension, with a separate 18-month interim suspension during the appeal period. The substantive order takes effect 28 days after written notice if there is no appeal. The coroner recorded bowel ischaemia as the cause of death; the determination does not establish that Papandrea’s failings caused the death.

Mitigating factors

• The panel took account of the fact that Ms Papandrea’s misconduct related to a single occasion, on a single shift, in an otherwise long and unblemished career; • Ms Papandrea continued to engage appropriately with the regulatory process; • Ms Papandrea had apologised for her misconduct and had expressed remorse; • Ms Papandrea had taken some steps to remediate in order to prevent a repetition of her misconduct; • The panel considered that Ms Papandrea had demonstrated growing insight, albeit at a later stage of the fitness to practise hearing; • Ms Papandrea had provided a detailed reflective account to the panel and had undertaken CPD and provided positive testimonials.

Aggravating factors

• The matters that the panel found proved demonstrated a real risk of harm to patients; • Ms Papandrea failed to work collaboratively with colleagues, the 999 call handler and first responder; • Ms Papandrea had demonstrated resistance to listen to and appropriately take account of the views of others, and this demonstrated some possible attitudinal concerns.

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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