A Suffolk mental health nurse is being allowed to practice again five years after being struck off by a regulator.

Roy Ramsamy Appadoo admitted sleeping on the job while he was meant to be supervising a high risk patient at the Suffolk Mental Health NHS Partnership Trust back in 2009.

At a conduct and competence committee meeting in 2012, he also admitted allowing a patient displaying manic behaviour to leave a ward without being escorted.

Now five years have passed since he was struck off the register, Mr Appadoo is being restored after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) agreed he acknowledged his actions fell below standards.

NMC panel chair Anne Booth told Mr Appadoo at a hearing hosted earlier this month: “You stated that you take full responsibility for your actions and are deeply ashamed, disappointed and angry with yourself for having let your patients and your colleagues down.

“You stated that you have learnt a lot from your mistakes and would never again do anything that would jeopardise patient safety or your position in the profession.

“You stated that you still have a lot to offer to patients and the profession.

She added: “The factors which contributed to your misconduct, including your health issues, have now been resolved.”

Health issues and insufficient breaks alongside consecutive night shifts were said to have contributed to his past misconduct, the panel heard.

Handing him a striking off order at the time, the committee said: “This is a case which involved a number of repeated errors across various areas of Mr Appadoo’s practice. These errors had the potential to cause harm not only to patients and other members of staff but also to Mr Appadoo himself.

“For example, the patient that required level three observations had the potential to endanger herself, or others yet Mr Appadoo slept when he should have been intensely observing that individual.”

In a report compiled after the hearing Ms Booth said Mr Appadoo has learned a lot from his mistakes and felt deeply ashamed, disappointed and angry with himself for having let patients and colleagues down.

He appreciated the seriousness of his mistakes and was credible and honest throughout the hearing.