A NURSE who repeatedly turned off the alarm on a faulty heart pump and didn’t carry out vital checks on the patient has been banned from working in critical care.

An inquiry found Susheela Verghese failed to correct the fault or seek assistance from more experienced staff.

The incident happened at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank which specialises in the treatment of patients with serious heart problems.

A balloon pump is a mechanical device that helps the heart pump blood and is used to stabilise patients who have suffered severe heart failure.

A witness told an inquiry by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) that the alarm was “silenced” three or four times and that Ms Verghese ”ignored” the fault.

Another charge was found proved that the nurse failed to seek help when she noticed that the battery of a patient’s pacemaker was low and the patient had started to “deteriorate rapidly.”

Another member of staff had to intervene.

A witness told the inquiry that the nurse, “appeared flustered by the situation and did not seem to appreciate the potential consequences."”

The hearing concluded that the nurse had put two vulnerable patients at risk of significant harm.

The incidents happened between April 3 2013 and September 14 2015 at the flagship hospital.

The inquiry was told that the nurse had taken further training since the incidents and has worked in a clinical setting without any further issues.

She was given a 12-month conditions of practice order which includes a ban on working in critical care in hospitals for a year and will come into force if no appeal is made by the nurse.

A spokeswoman for the Golden Jubilee Hospital said: "Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we can confirm that we reported one of our nursing team members to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This individual no longer works at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital.

"Unfortunately, incidents sometimes occur which require further action to ensure the safety of our patients."