A nurse who secretly filmed the neglect of elderly patients in a hospital for a television documentary has been struck off. Margaret Haywood, 58, was found guilty of misconduct at a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing for filming at the Royal Sussex Hospital for a BBC Panorama programme in 2005. The NMC's fitness to practise panel ruled that Mrs Haywood had prioritised filming over her obligations as a nurse and had breached patient confidentiality.

Mrs Haywood admitted to breaching patient confidentiality, although all patients had consented to appearing on the programme after they were filmed, but denied her fitness to practice had been impaired. She said she had agreed to film undercover to highlight conditions on the wards. The hospital had received a number of complaints before filming began and the programme's producer told the hearing there had been 'an over-arching public interest' to produce the footage.

Following the programme, concerns about standards of care were raised in the House of Commons and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust issued a public apology admitting 'serious lapses in the quality of care'.

Mrs Hayward's actions have been defended by representatives of the National Union of Journalists, Patient Concern and Action on Elder Abuse. (timesonline.co.uk 2009; 17 April, bbc.co.uk 2009; 16 April)