A NURSE who has been struck off after giving an overdose of salt to a baby has apologised to the family.
Four-month-old Samuel McIntosh died at the Queen's Medical Centre in July 2009 after being given a concentration of sodium chloride about ten times greater than he should have had.
Speaking for the first time about the tragedy, Louisa Swinburn told the Post: "I am very sorry about what happened and this is the first time that I have ever really been able to express my apologies to the family.
"It's something that I am going to have to carry with me for the rest of my life.
"The last few years have been dreadful, knowing what happened.
"Without the support of my husband, children and a strong group of friends, I don't know how I would have got through it."
A Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing was also told how, weeks before the incident, Swinburn had been photographed asleep next to Samuel's cot.
The council ruled she should be struck off the nursing register.
This means she can no longer work in the profession.
Swinburn added: "I have had to carry the can for this. I do feel guilty and this guilt will never go away, but I feel as if I have been made to face this on my own and the [hospital] Trust hasn't supported me.
"My colleagues and friends know I was a good nurse. I was good at my job, but I made a mistake and that will stick with me forever."
An inquest into Samuel's death in 2010 heard that two nurses who were involved in the "dreadful mistake" could not explain how it happened.
The inquest was told that Swinburn and a colleague were "distracted" by another staff member as they prepared a solution to correct Samuel's low salt levels.
As a result of the mistake, Samuel was given 50ml of a sodium chloride solution. A registrar had prescribed 5ml.
The error meant the infusion given to Samuel was 10 times the required concentration, causing swelling to his brain.
Panel chairman Peter Harvey said: "It (the panel) considered that Mrs Swinburn's wide-ranging misconduct and her lack of insight into a catastrophic drug error was extremely serious and the risk of repetition could not be excluded.
"The panel considered that, on the specific facts of this case, her misconduct was fundamentally incompatible with her being able to continue to practise as a registered nurse."
Jenny Leggott, Director of Nursing for Nottingham University Hospitals, said: "After proper investigation and process, Louisa Swinburn was dismissed by NUH in August 2010 for gross misconduct, after being photographed appearing asleep on duty and posting the image herself on Facebook in June 2009.
"Her conduct was reported to the NMC, who have heard the case this week, concluding that she is no longer able to work in the profession."
