A nurse has been found guilty of one allegation of professional misconduct and a breach of the nursing code for raising the use of cannabis oil with a patient at the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin.

An inquiry heard that nurse Michael Ian Carreon Redito allegedly asked a patient on 10 July 2017 if he had ever used cannabis oil, if he had not that he should and that if his cancer did not kill him, the chemotherapy would.

Nurse Redito has been a nurse for over a decade and is from the Philippines.

The inquiry heard from Dr Edward Matthews, Director of Professional and Regulatory Services at the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, for Mr Redito, that he had expressed remorse and admitted certain facts of the allegation and that it was professional misconduct.

The fitness to practise committee directed that the complainant, who is due to give evidence, be anonymised as Mr A.

Nurse Redito was found not guilty of a second allegation and code breach, as the fitness to practise committee said it was not proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that he had told Mr A that if the cancer did not kill him, the chemotherapy would.

The report and finding of the hearing will now go to the Nursing Board, which will decide on any sanction that might apply.

Mr A told the inquiry he was "flabbergasted" and "shocked" by Nurse Redito’s remarks.

He felt it meant that his cancer was terminal.

The inquiry heard that Mr A works as a garda, and that in 2016 he underwent surgery at the Mater Private to remove a cancerous lump from the side of his neck.

He was back at the hospital in June 2017 for another biopsy which also found cancer.

He was referred for a PET scan, and in a cubicle before this, on 10 July that year, he said Nurse Redito made the alleged comments.

Mr A said he complained to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland because he was uncomfortable about the remarks and felt obliged to highlight the matter.

The inquiry heard that Mr A underwent radiation treatment and other care and was out of work from July 2017 to February 2018.

He has since recovered.

Nurse Redito told the inquiry he made some comments to Mr A to alleviate the patient's anxiety in preparation for the PET scan.

He said he asked if Mr A had used cannabis oil and that he should try it.

But he said he did not say that "if the cancer does not kill you, the chemotherapy will".

Nurse Redito told the inquiry his comments were out of the blue and he was not familiar with cannabis oil.

He said his remarks were flippant, wrong and he was really sorry for the negative impact on Mr A.