A NURSE accused of failing to make adequate entries in the records of five patients has had the charges thrown out.

Reginald Devadhas, 36, was said to have forgotten to note an elderly man had not had any food or drink for three days.

He allegedly failed to write clear instructions on how to treat a male patient's asthma, did not monitor a female patient's rash or carry out a risk assessment on a patient who had intestinal bleeding.

He was also charged with failing to start a care plan for a man who had an open wound when he worked at the Sefton Hall Nursing Home in Dawlish, Devon, in 2006.

The Indian-born nurse admitted not making adequate entries in respect of three patients but denied the rest of the charges against him.

He further denied his current fitness to practise was impaired.

Despite his admissions, the Nursing and Midwifery Council decided there was not enough evidence to continue with the hearing and declared he had no case to answer.

Panel chair Lesley White said: "As far as the facts are concerned, the evidence we have heard, taken at its highest, could not prove beyond reasonable doubt the NMC's case to the required standard.

"At the relative time, the registrant was working nights and was not responsible for making all the entries on patient records, as stated in the charges.

"Patients were being monitored, particularly Patient A as regards to his food intake, by the day staff.

"There can be no doubt his record-keeping fell below the standards expected of him, but there was no suggestion he was ever doing anything less than his best.

"It was a combination of a lack of training, stress at work and the fact that English was not his first language that these charges have come about.

"We find his actions were not deliberate and as soon as the errors were brought to his attention, he rectified them."

Devadhas, of Dawlish, can continue in his career as a nurse with an unblemished record.

Geoffrey Cox, managing director of Southern Healthcare Limited which runs that Sefton Hall Nursing Home, confirmed it was its company which referred Devadhas to the council.

The company dismissed him the same year.

He said: "Mr Devadhas was employed in the home in 2005 when we took over.

"We have very high standards with regards to nursing staff conduct.

"All out nurses undergo competency assessments. At the time Mr Devadhas had recently undertaken adaptation training.

"All our four Southern Healthcare homes have good ratings by government inspectors.

"Quality of care and the standard of our nursing staff are critical to our business."