A nurse who failed to give drugs to an epileptic patient who had suffered a fit has been branded unsafe and struck off.

Gloria Abbey, 55, falsified records to state the medication had been given.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard yesterday she made a string of blunders while administering drugs to seven patients at the Lauriston Christian Nursing Home in St Leonards.

After the errors were discovered, Abbey was assessed by home manager Larry Maurice.

Stephen Murfitt, for the NMC, said: "As regards drug administration, Mr Maurice concluded she was an unsafe practitioner."

Nurse Rosemary Cooper, described how Abbey had been working the night of July 9 2001.

When Mrs Cooper took over in the morning, Abbey told her the epileptic woman, referred to as Patient C, had suffered a fit.

She said: "I wondered why she had a fit because normally when she has medication she is okay."

Mrs Cooper looked at Patient C's medical records, signed by Abbey, which claimed the patient had received her medication.

But later Patient C said she "was adamant she had not taken the drugs", the hearing was told.

Mrs Cooper said she later found the drugs in the patient's room, in a locker which the elderly women could not access.

Abbey, who began work at the home on June 5, 2001, admitted making errors in relation to six other patients all between July 2 and 12, 2001.

These included failing to find out what level of medication a terminally-ill patient needed and then only giving half the correct dose.

Abbey, formerly of west Ealing but now believed to be living in Ghana, did not attend the hearing but admitted all the allegations, except falsifying the patient's medical record. However, this charge was found proved.

Mr Maurice said when he asked Abbey about the errors the nurse complained she had suffered a "hostile attitude" from other staff.

She also claimed she was the victim of racial discrimination.

But Mr Maurice said: "I thought the problems were nothing to do with the home but her ability."

NMC chairman Bronya Webster said Abbey was guilty of professional misconduct and her actions "fell short of the standards expected from a qualified nurse".

She added: "To protect the public it is necessary to remove Abbey's name from the register."