The appeals court has upheld a prior judgement, finding warranted the sacking of a nurse for her failure to sterilise surgical instruments.

The case dates back to 2014, when the nurse admitted to not having sterilised the instruments, which she attributed to a lapse.

At the time she was employed at a Nicosia hospital. Her employer fired her over the incident.

The nurse then took recourse at a labour disputes court, arguing that her sacking was illegal as she was not given a proper hearing. She sought compensation on the grounds of unlawful termination of employment.

The labour disputes court rejected her arguments, finding that her firing was legitimate.

She then appealed the decision with the appeals court.

In its recent ruling, the appeals court found no fault with the prior decision of the labour disputes court.

It noted that the nurse’s omission “might have endangered the safety and health of patients”, noting that the nurse herself never disputed the facts of the case.

Regarding the severity of the employer’s action, the appeals court said the sacking may have been “harsh, but not disproportionate to the error committed”.