Nurse struck off for telling patient her cancer was caused by taking Covid jabs
Penny Ann Senner described the cause as a "push up" and also offered the woman an anti-vaccination leaflet
A nurse who told a patient that her cancer was caused by Covid vaccinations has been struck off.
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Penny Ann Senner was employed as an adult nurse at Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust when she made the comments, claiming that the cause had been "hushed up".
A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) misconduct panel found that four out of six charges against the nurse were found proven, including that she had given the patient a leaflet with a link to an anti-vaccination website.
The anonymous "Patient A" told the panel she saw Miss Senner for a routine appointment in August 2023 when the nurse broached the topic of Covid jabs in a "sly manner".
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The patient said in a witness statement: "She asked if I had been vaccinated, which I assumed was a routine inquiry.
"I informed her that I had received the vaccinations and boosters. Ms Senner then said that ‘that’s what caused your cancer.'
"Ms Senner explicitly stated that the vaccines were the cause of my cancer and that this had been hushed up."
The patient added that the comments were "direct and definitive", and not framed as a suggestion or possibility.
Asked by Miss Senner’s legal representative, Niall McCrae, whether it would change her view of the nurse if it were shown that the Covid jabs could raise the risk of cancer, or quicken its progress, Patient A said: "No, it will not change my view.
"I was at a very vulnerable state. I was going through chemotherapy. I had no hair. I was having several medical appointments a week.
"I did not need somebody to come in and basically tell me that I could have prevented my own disease."
Patient A told the panel Miss Senner had offered her a leaflet retrieved from her car, which the patient accepted "out of genuine concern".
She said: "Later, when I looked at the website referenced in the leaflet, I realised it was an anti-vaccination website and not a source of new or reliable information as I had been told."
The tribunal was told the conversation had left Patient A fearful about allowing her children to receive the Covid vaccination, worried they might get cancer.
Responding to the allegations, Miss Senner said she was deeply sorry to hear Patient A was upset, adding "this was certainly not my intention".
The panel ruled Miss Senner attempted to undermine public confidence in public health advice with her actions.
The ruling said: "The panel acknowledged that Miss Senner did not intend to harm Patient A, however, it considered that her misconduct caused lasting emotional and psychological harm to Patient A.
"Miss Senner did not behave kindly or professionally during her interaction with Patient A and did not recognise or acknowledge Patient A’s vulnerability at the time."
It added: "A member of the public would be shocked to learn that a registered nurse was sharing their personal beliefs with patients, when they knew that these were inconsistent with their employer’s policies and UK health guidance."
The panel made an order to remove Miss Senner from the nursing register with an interim suspension order of 18 months to allow her time to appeal.