AN ELDERLY care home resident was left with with a 'gaping' wound on her bottom after a nurse failed to order her a medical mattress, a hearing was told today.

David Worsley, 49, could have helped ease the woman's pain by ordering a pressure relieving mattress to stop her getting bed sores, it was said.

But three months later the mattress had still not arrived and she was left with an open wound on her bottom, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

The incident occured while Worsley was working as a district nurse team leader for Plymouth Primary Care NHS Trust in Devon between January and April 2006.

The woman, referred to as Patient A, was living in the Woodland Villa Residential Care Home in Milehouse, Plymouth at the time and was in the care of Worsley.

The panel heard that due to his heavy workload other members of staff would sometimes visit his patients and on January 25 community staff nurse Miranda Burke was asked to visit Patient A.

Giving evidence Mrs Burke said: 'It was the first time I had been to see this lady.

'I noticed she had a small sore on her bottom. I applied a dressing to the area and checked her mattress to see what could be causing the problem.

'She didn't have a pressure relieving mattress and I said to the staff at the home, this lady needs a pressure reliving mattress and cushion to stop her getting sores.

'The staff told me David [Worsley] had ordered the equipment.'

Mrs Burke told the panel she was asked to visit Patient A again on April 30- more than three months later- and was shocked at what she saw.

'Since the last time I had seen her she had developed quite a big open wound on her bottom,' she said.

'It was actually a different wound to the one I saw the first time and had quite a lot of pus coming out of it.

'There was no dressing on the wound which shocked me a little and I was surprised to see she still didn't have a pressure relieving mattress.

'I've ordered them for patients before and they can sometimes arrive as early as the next day.'

The nurse added she again told staff the patient must be given a pressure reliving mattress straight away and they managed to get hold of a temporary one for her.

John Hepworth, for the NMC, said Worsley had visited Patient A four times between Mrs Burke’s visits and even noted she had developed a sore on her backside but still did nothing.

He said: 'Since Mrs Burke’s visit on January 25, Worsley visited Patient A a further four times.

'On February 20, 21, 24 and on April 18.

'He noted there was a sore area and a large wound on the patient's bottom.

'Notes have shown the nurse was of the opinion at the time that Patient A’s condition was caused at least partly by pressure damage and a pressure relieving mattress would help.

'But when Mrs Burke visited again on April 30 there was still no mattress.

'It is the council’s case that the duty is on the nurse because Patient A was in his care and her condition was such that a pressure relieving mattress should be provided.

'He failed in that duty because he did not ensure it was provided.'

Worsley, of Plymouth, is also accused of a string of other errors including failing to keep adequate patient records and failing to ensure drugs were given as prescribed.

He admits these charges but denies he failed to ensure Patient A was provided with a pressure relieving mattress.

He also admits his fitness to practice is impaired by lack of competence.

If found guilty of misconduct, he could be thrown out of the profession.

He is attending the central London hearing, which continues.