A NURSE who slapped an 87-year-old dementia sufferer across the face during a play fight has been kicked out of the profession.

Balasajeev Kumar left the woman with a black eye at Connolly House Independent Mental Health Hospital, Weeley, during the assault on October 3, 2014.

He was subsequently convicted at Colchester Magistrates Court of assaulting the woman by beating on January 27, 2015.

The Conduct and Competence Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has struck him off for an initial 18 months to allow an appeal to be held.

The London hearing was told Kumar had been a registered mental health nurse since 2009 and worked at Connolly House , which specialises in patients with mental illnesses including dementia.

That October day, Kumar was ‘play fighting’ with a health care assistant. His 87-year-old victim, a dementia sufferer with a history of two violent marriages, where she had been a victim of violence, had thought the fights were for real.

She approached Kumar from behind and struck him on the back of the neck. He turned around, pausing momentarily, and then struck her across the right side of her face with the back of his right hand.

“It is alleged that this resulted in injury, including a black eye, bruising and swelling,” continued the report.

The assault was seen by two healthcare assistants and captured on CCTV.

Kumar initially denied wilfully hitting the woman, telling the hospital and the police his hand accidentally caught her face as he turned around. He also denied causing injury.

The hospital referred the matter to police and Kumar eventually pleaded guilty to assault by beating.

Kumar told the NMC hearing his conviction did not impair his fitness to practice but the panel said it had to “maintain public confidence in the profession and the regulatory process.”

NMC legal counsel, Bo Kay Fung, felt that the conviction was so serious, a finding of ‘impairment’ was necessary. Furthermore, there was a risk such behaviour could be repeated.

Representing Kumar, Mr Thampi Rose said the incident was out of character for his client and would never be repeated. Kumar had also demonstrated insight and remediation. However, at the hearing, Kumar was told the panel found his answers to questions to be vague and evasive at times, with ‘inconsistencies’.

Connolly House director Mark Venkatasami said the NMC made the “correct” decision in striking off Kumar. He said: “Connolly House take the safety and care of its clients very seriously and we do not tolerate any forms of abuse. All the necessary measures were taken and reports were made to all relevant authorities, including the Police, Care Quality Commission (CQC) and North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group.

Last week’s hearing also coincided with the publication of a CQC inspection report which gave the 14-bed facility an overall ‘good’ rating. It praised the centre for effective, caring, responsive and well-led services, rating them ‘good,’ though service safety “requires improvement” with regards to out-of-date medical supplies, medicines management and a need to improve cleanliness in places.