A WORCESTERSHIRE nurse has been struck off after faking a doctor's signature on prescription forms.

Nigel Donnelly, ward manager of the Hazel Elective Unit at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, was struck off the nursing register following a hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Mr Donnelly, aged 45, of Kidderminster, admitted four charges including prescribing medication to eight patients without authority and signing prescription charts as Dr Ali Nazir.

He also admitted completing discharge and To Take Out forms without authority and also signing them as Dr Nazir.

The offences took place between May and July 2005.

The decision means Mr Donnelly is banned from praticising as a nurse and, although he could apply to be re-instated after five years, he is unlikely to be allowed to practise again.

A spokeswoman for the Nursing and Midwifery Council said: "This is about maintaining public protection and trust and confidence in the profession and given the seriousness of these charges the panel would have been doing a disservice not just to the public but to the integrity of the profession if they did not strike him off.

A hospital spokesman declined to comment.