A nurse has been struck off after telling a cancer patient that Covid vaccinations were “what caused your cancer” and handing her an anti-vaccination leaflet during a routine appointment.
Penny Ann Senner, an adult nurse at Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust, was removed from the register following a Nursing and Midwifery Council misconduct hearing, which upheld four of six charges against her, reports the Mirror.
The panel found she had given the patient a leaflet containing a link to an anti-vaccination website. The woman, referred to as Patient A, told the hearing that Senner raised the subject of Covid jabs in a “sly manner” during their consultation in August 2023.
In her witness statement, the patient recalled: "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'."
Patient A further stated that the nurse's remarks were not presented as a "suggestion or a possibility" but as a "direct and definitive claim". She added: "Her tone and choice of words left no room for interpretation. It was a clear and unequivocal statement."
When questioned by Miss Senner's legal representative, Niall McCrae, about whether her opinion of the nurse would shift if evidence emerged that the Covid jabs could increase cancer risk or accelerate its progression, Patient A responded: "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 described how Senner handed her the leaflet after fetching it from her vehicle, and that she took it "out of genuine concern".
She stated: "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. I felt relieved but the experience stayed with me, leaving me distressed for some time."
Patient A subsequently became anxious about her children receiving their Covid vaccinations, fearing they might develop cancer.
Addressing the allegations, Senner expressed being "deeply sorry" to learn Patient A had been upset, stating "this was certainly not my intention".
The nurse was additionally found to have accessed "numerous" patients' records without proper authorisation or legitimate clinical justification.
The panel was told Senner started compiling a patient list soon after the Covid vaccines were introduced, documenting the reason for accessing records as "research". The ruling stated: "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 further noted: "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."
Senner was struck off the nursing register, with an interim suspension order of 18 months granted to allow her the opportunity to lodge an appeal.
The panel ruled the nurse attempted to undermine public confidence in public health advice with her actions.
