A MIDWIFE who failed to react to a baby having a fit has been suspended from working for a year.

Dominika Aleksandra Kuehn Stachurska told colleagues that the baby was "doing that thing again" and walked away in the opposite direction, failing to respond to requests for help or information.

Following an investigating, it was found that her competency was not "currently at a level" where she would be able to return to safe and effective practise as a midwife.

A hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)'s Fitness to Practise Committee placed a 12 months suspension order on her registration.

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It found that Stachurska – who was a registered midwife, between March 2020 and May 2023 – failed to demonstrate the standards of knowledge, skill, and judgment required to practise without supervision as a band 5 midwife working at the Victoria Hospital.

An anonymous referral had been made to the NMC in September 2020 about Stachurska saying she "lacked basic knowledge and skills" required for practice as a midwife.

NHS Fife later confirmed there had been "significant concerns raised" from the outset of her employment.

Stachurska admitted 11 charges which included being unable to perform basis postnatal examinations, being unable to demonstrate knowledge of the presenting part after performing an abdominal palpitation and inaccurately instructing a bottle-feeding mother to express her breasts to relieve discomfort.

She also attempted to administer paracetamol to an unknown patient who had already been administered Co-codamol and was unable to demonstrate sufficient knowledge around medication management/administration.

The NMC said they agreed that the appropriate sanction was a suspension order for a period of twelve months with a review before expiry.

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It told her: "The panel is of the view that there are no practical or workable conditions that could be formulated given the wide-ranging clinical concerns in this case and the panel’s finding that you are currently impaired by reason of your lack of competence.

"The panel also took into consideration that you placed patients at risk of harm over the course of three years which, despite support and mentoring, was not addressed and has not been remediated.

"Furthermore, the panel concluded that the placing of conditions on your registration would not adequately address the seriousness of this case and would not protect the public.

"The panel was mindful the hardship such an order will inevitably cause you. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in this case.

"The panel considered that this order is necessary to mark the importance of maintaining public confidence in the profession, and to send to the public and the profession a clear message about the standard of behaviour required of a registered midwife."

Responding to the hearing, a spokesperson for NHS Fife said: "Patient safety is our single biggest priority. We are, however, unable to comment on matters relating to individual staff members, past or present."