Nurse Removed from Register After Taking Drugs from Hospital Store
A nurse was struck off after being found to have taken medication from a hospital's accident and emergency (A&E) store for her personal use on 22 occasions. Helen McLaughlan removed drugs from the A&E store at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Berkshire, over a period of approximately six months, according to findings by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The NMC reported that McLaughlan took various medications, including painkillers such as ibuprofen and codeine. She recorded these drugs as being administered to patients, some of whom were no longer under treatment at the hospital. The investigation revealed that she had taken the drugs inappropriately between November 2020 and April 2021.
Investigation and Referral to Nursing Regulator
The Frimley Health NHS Trust, which oversees Wexham Park Hospital, stated it will "always act" when staff fail to meet required professional standards. The NMC noted that McLaughlan was referred to the regulator in April 2021, shortly after a routine medication audit discovered that pregabalin—a drug used to treat epilepsy and anxiety—was missing from the store. McLaughlan resigned from the trust later that same month.
The trust's internal investigation found that McLaughlan claimed to have dispensed medication to patients who were not in her care, were not on the ward where she was working, or were not even present in the hospital at the time the drugs were recorded as given.
Explanation and Regulatory Outcome
When questioned about her conduct, McLaughlan was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation. The NMC stated she suggested that someone else might have taken the medication using her login credentials after she had failed to log out of the department's dispensing system.
The NMC panel determined that her actions represented conduct at the "more serious end of the spectrum" and consequently removed her from the nursing register.
Statements from the NHS Trust
A spokesperson for the NHS trust emphasized the importance of professional standards, stating:
"We expect all our nursing staff to adhere to high professional standards."
"We will always act when we have evidence that an individual has fallen short of these expected standards and, where appropriate, refer the case to the NMC."
