Nurse struck off over Pinky and Perky abuse

An abusive nurse who held a patient’s mouth shut to stop him singing the Pinky and Perky theme tune has been struck off. Benson Blackmore became enraged with the patient at the Carleton Clinic in Carlisle, Cumbria, who liked singing the theme to the 1950s children’s TV show. He also pushed the patient down a corridor while his trousers were hanging around his ankles, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.



One colleague described Blackmore’s manhandling of the patient between April and May 2013 as “abusive”. Blackmore had been employed within the NHS for 35 years and had been employed on the Oakwood Unit of the hospital since August 2012 when the incidents occurred. The patient had been on the ward on several occasions, and was known as a challenging individual. In late April 2013, Blackmore shouted at the man in a “loud and booming voice” for singing the Pinky and Perky theme tune We Belong Together.

During the same shift a colleague saw Blackmore roughly grab the patient to stop him singing in the dining room. Blackmore’s colleague described him as ‘roughly’ putting his hand on the man’s mouth for approximately five seconds to prevent him performing. On May 5 Blackmore was spotted by another co-worker pinching the patient’s nose in a bid to make him swallow medication. The man had refused the medication which he was entitled to do - but instead Blackmore took hold of his nose and shoved his head back to force him.


YouTube link.

In late April 2013, Blackmore was seen shoving and pushing the patient A down a corridor. His pyjama bottoms were loose and hanging around this ankles - almost causing him to fall. On striking Blackmore off, NMC panel chairman Kenneth Caley said: “Taken individually and as whole, all the charges found proved demonstrated, in the panel’s view, a lack of compassion and kindness in Mr Blackmore’s treatment of Patient A.” Mr Caley added: “In his ‘hands on’ treatment of Patient A, Mr Blackmore had fallen far short of what would have been expected of a registered nurse of his experience in the particular circumstances.