An "extremely competent and perfectionist" nurse has been suspended for misconduct for risking the cross-contamination of patients with infections.

Edwina Benneyworth, who worked as a junior sister on the day case unit at Epsom Hospital for 17 years, was suspended from the profession for a year at a hearing of the conduct and competence committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) on April 2.

In July 2010, she "deliberately took a decision which put patient safety at risk" when she allowed a leaking bronchoscope to be used on other patients - knowing the risk of cross-contamination this could pose. 

A bronchoscope is an instrument inserted into the airways which allows a doctor to examine the airways for abnormalities or to remove objects lodged there.

Reports surfaced in the 1990s of an outbreak of tuberculosis infections in a hospital in America which was spread due to a lack of 'leak testing' on bronchoscopes with holes in them.

Mrs Benneyworth admitted that she told a healthcare assistant to wash the bronchoscope even though she knew there was a minute hole in it, failed to inform a consultant that it was leaking and provided it for use on other patients.

The NMC said she had shown she was "deeply sorry for the events" and had a "successful and longstanding career", but that her actions "fell significantly short of the standards expected of a registered nurse".

It heard that Mrs Benneyworth’s husband was suffering from poor health at the time and was in "financial hardship" after he had to leave his job.

These pressures took their psychological toll on Mrs Benneyworth who said that her shifts at the hospital were a ‘blur’. 

The NMC said: "On reflection you said that you should have informed management about your personal problems but you stated that ‘I thought I could manage but obviously I couldn’t."

Colleagues described her as "extremely competent and a perfectionist" and spoke of her working tirelessly and eager to help. 

The NMC found that this was an "isolated incident which is out of character".

But it said: "This order was 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 nurse"

Mrs Benneyworth was suspended from her job by Epsom and St Helier hospital trust in July 2010 and resigned soon after.

She has not worked since and has no plans to return to nursing.