June Nottage, from St Leonards, who worked at the Conquest Hospital had also lied about when theatre tickets had been bought to obtain two days annual leave, the disciplinary Health Professions Council (HPC) panel was told.

Announcing the decision to suspend Mrs Nottage, panel chairman John Williams said : "We are satisfied she demonstrated a serious shortfall in her patient care and professional standards and told lies."

As far as the x-ray was concerned Mr Williams said Mrs Nottage had been asked to carry one out on the patient on 1 December 2005 in the Accident and Emergency department and was "specifically requested by nursing staff not to move the patient to a sitting position.

He continued: "Mrs Nottage ignored that request and did move the patient to a sitting position for the purposes of an x-ray. Very shortly afterwards the patient experienced a collapse and nursing staff had to administer oxygen and fluids."

Turning to the lies about theatre tickets he said Mrs Nottage asked a colleague to support her in an "incorrect assertion" that she needed annual leave for 27 and 28 April, 2006, because she had theatre tickets for 27 April which had been bought in December 2005.

She told the colleague on 3 April, 2006, her husband had booked tickets to go to the theatre at the end of April.

While absent from work due to illness the next day Mrs Nottage phoned the colleague and asked her to check whether she would be able to have those two days for annual holiday and was told it was unlikely.

Mrs Nottage then asked the colleague to make her request for the time off to a senior official saying she could say the tickets were "booked in December, 2005."

A week later Mrs Nottage also claimed that the tickets had been booked back in December but the hearing was told that her colleague felt uncomfortable about this and told the general manager what was happening and an investigation ensued.

The hearing was told that Mrs Nottage resigned on 28 July five days before an internal disciplinary hearing and she was not present for the HPC hearing.