 A NURSE cleared of the manslaughter of a toddler she injected with an incorrect drug while at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital will this week find out if she can return to work. Rose Aru, 62, from Wavertree, mistakenly injected a paralysing agent which induced a fatal heart attack into 18-month-old Jake McGeough in July 2001. In March 2005, after an eight-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court, the mother of six was cleared of manslaughter. Now the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s hearing in London is due to begin today to investigate the charge of ‘maladministration of drugs’ by Mrs Aru. Her colleague Lynne Maguire, 36, of West Derby, is also due before the NMC charged with failing to check that medication was administered and checked. At baby Jake’s inquest in 2003, the coroner heard Mrs Maguire was with Mrs Aru at the time the wrong injection was given. Mrs Aru had meant to administer a sedative to calm Jake, but gave Vercuronium, a powerful muscle relaxant, instead. The drug should only be given to patients on ventilators and Jake was breathing naturally. That led to Jake going into cardiac arrest, causing his death. The jury inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killing, prompting a police inquiry which led to Mrs Aru, who has more than 25 years nursing experience, being charged. Her lawyer, Patrick Cosgrove QC, told the jury at her criminal trial that she had done what she thought was right in the circumstances, but had been wrong and she accepted she made a mistake. After she was cleared, the judge, Mr Justice McCombe, said: “It has been a very sad case for all concerned. The question of mercy is important in the administration of justice and I hope those who are unhappy with what has happened today will find it possible in their hearts to exercise mercy.” Alder Hey, at the time of the inquest and trial, said it had reviewed all its procedures. The NMC hearing is expected to last a week.
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