A WINCHESTER care home nurse has been struck off after she waited half-an-hour before calling 999 after finding an unresponsive resident.

Ntomkhaya Joyce Nyalungu said 'there's nothing we can do' when she found the man and did not immediately call paramedics.

Instead, she went away to call an out-of-hours GP and it was at least 30 minutes before emergency services were contacted.

Mrs Nyalungu, who was working at Bereweeke Court Care Home, Bereweeke Road, Winchester, was sacked.

Professional disciplinary proceedings followed and she has now been struck off the register by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The NMC's conduct and competence committee in London said Mrs Nyalungu had failed to get involved during the disciplinary process.

"Her lack of engagement indicates a persistent lack of insight and blatant disregard of the regulatory process," it said.

"The panel determined that it was necessary to prevent Mrs Nyalungu from practising in the future. It concluded that the only sanction that would adequately protect the public and satisfy the wider public interest was a striking-off order."

According to the NMC papers, Mrs Nyalungu and a colleague had found the man in an unresponsive state in the early hours in January 2013.

She left to call an out-of-hours GP, leaving the colleague to begin attempts at resuscitation. A 999 call was only made later.

A previous NMC committee found Mrs Nyalungu's fitness to practise 'impaired' at the time.

She had not followed the home's policy and brought the nursing profession into disrepute by her lack of prompt action.

Mrs Nyalungu's striking off will come into effect on July 12.

Bereweeke Court has 56 patients and is run by Bupa Care Homes.

In a statement Bupa said: "We suspended and then dismissed Ms Nyalungu in 2013 following an internal and police investigation. The health and wellbeing of our residents is our priority."