A MENTAL health nurse working in Essex has been suspended after he asked a patient to turn up to her next appointment wearing school uniform.

Gary Snape, who worked for North Essex Partnership Trust, committed a string of failings in patient care between December 2009 and April 2013.

These failings included “inappropriately” asking a female patient - who at the time was of school age - to tie material around her body during an appointment, using drama techniques when unqualified and asking the patient to wear school uniform to her next appointment.

Snape was brought before a Nursing and Midwifery Council conduct panel where the total of 15 failings were brought forward.

While the panel noted that Snape had been suffering difficulties with his line manager at the time of the failings, they deemed there was a high risk of the incidents being repeated.

A report of the meeting published on the Nursing and Midwifery Council website said: “The panel considered that there remains a risk of you repeating these failings and thereby putting patients at risk of harm; bringing the nursing profession into disrepute and breaching the fundamental tenets of the nursing profession.

“The panel also noted the seriousness of the misconduct found against you and that this, combined with the considerably detailed lack of competence charges which occurred over a relatively long period of time, is sufficient to indicate the risk of the behaviour being repeated.”

It concluded: “The panel was mindful of the apparent difficulties you had with your line manager at the time and the impact this would have had on your confidence and your practice. However, the panel considered that without evidence of good practice in a clinical setting a finding of current impairment would be required.”