Update: we have received a reply from the Nursing and Midwifery Council which you can read at the bottom of this page. 

LDE was shocked to hear that Maxwell Nyamukapa, a nurse who punched a teenager with severe learning disabilities, was recently found not guilty of misconduct.

Nyamukapa, a specialist nurse who worked at Winterbourne View hospital, broke Ben Garrod’s jaw and knocked out two of his teeth when he hit him in the face. He was found ‘fit to practise’ by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

You can read more about the decision here.

The Representative Body of LDE has written to the Nursing and Midwifery Council to ask how this decision was reached. You can read the letter below.

We have also sent a copy of the letter to the Professional Standards Authority and we encourage our members to do the same.

LDE’s thoughts are with Ben and all his family and friends.

Reply from the Nursing and Midwifery Council

Because of public concern about the case, the NMC has published the decision that explains why Maxwell Nyamukapa was found fit to practise. You can read the decision here. Please be aware that decision contains descriptions of violence towards people with learning disabilities.