Zoie O’Brien’s damning article concerning a nurse’s failure to call an ambulance for an elderly patient with a broken neck (Guardian, March 13) was not only shocking but sickening to all right minded people.

This travesty of medical care is made all the worse by the appalling and ignorant decision of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which came to the unbelievable conclusion that this nurse should not be suspended because it would be “disproportionate”.

What planet are these people on? In support of their pathetic judgement, the NMC claims it took into account that it was a “first time offence”.

That is a pitiful excuse and does nothing to protect the sick and vulnerable people who are constantly being abused and harmed in nursing homes throughout the country.

Not a week goes by without a court case being held into abuses of the elderly and I am not surprised when those charged with monitoring standards in care homes are giving the green light to people who clearly are not fit to practice.

One can rightly presume that none of the NMC panel members will be placing their vulnerable relatives into the care of this “remorseful” woman and I would suggest they would be hypocrites if they said otherwise.

In her article, Ms O’Brien states that the ruling did not include details of what happened to the injured woman.

May I suggest someone finds out?

I would like the police and council to answer one other question. Did they enquire into how an elderly lady with dementia broke her neck, or do they share the same philosophy of the nursing home that enquiring into how people get life threatening injuries would cost too much money?

I consider the decision of the NMC to be so outrageous that Eleanor Laing MP should consider it her duty to instigate an inquiry.

I’m quite sure that is what she would have done if it had been her mother.

Tom Benfield, Bush Road, Buckhurst Hill.