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Both women, who had earlier denied most of the charges, attended the hearing in central London yesterday.

Stephen Redmond, chair of the panel, told Turner she had failed in her duty to provide a high standard of care and "showed a serious lack of personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity".

He said: "The panel found that you failed to treat people as individuals and failed to respect their dignity.

"You discriminated against those in your care and failed to treat people kindly and considerably. You thereby failed to make the care of the people your first concern."

Referring to White, he added: "You failed to adhere to the law by falsifying potentially important national statistical data and you badly let down the reputation of your profession.

"The panel considers that your conduct did indeed bring the profession into serious public disrepute."

Both nurses were found to have had their fitness to practice impaired, and the panel will now decide whether they should be struck off. The hearing continues.