Sabotage case nurse can work again
A nurse who was barred from working after being accused of sabotage at a hospital in Britain can return to nursing, a regulatory body ruled today.
But Rebecca Leighton will not be able to return to work at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport while internal inquiries continue into allegations she stole drugs.
The 27-year-old spent more than six weeks in custody after she was accused of tampering with saline solution at Stepping Hill. The charges were dropped on September 2.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council made the ruling after criminal charges against Miss Leighton were dropped.
The NMC ordered an interim suspension after her arrest, which was reviewed by a panel sitting in London today.
The panel reached its decision after hearing how Miss Leighton had admitted stealing opiate-based drugs.
Announcing a series of conditions limiting her nursing responsibilities, panel chairman Dr John Unsworth said: “The theft of these drugs is a serious matter which, if proved, could call into question the honesty and integrity of the registrant.”
Despite being allowed to return to nursing by the regulator, her employer said tonight Miss Leighton would remain suspended on full pay.
In a statement, Stepping Hill said: “This afternoon the Nursing and Midwifery Council removed the suspension on Rebecca Leighton’s registration but this is subject to an interim conditions of practice order.
“The Trust will now undertake its own review of the allegations relating to the theft of some medications.
“While this is taking place Rebecca Leighton will be suspended from work on full pay.”
The panel reached its decision after hearing how Miss Leighton admitted stealing drugs including an antibiotic named Flucloxacillin, a box of ibuprofen and some tramadol tablets from the hospital.
These were later found by police searching her home.
Salim Hafejee, outlining the case against her, told the panel she had admitted the theft and the “reasonable inference” was that she was taking the medication for her own use.
He went on to cite the case of killer GP Harold Shipman, who was addicted to pethidine, another opiate-based drug.
Mr Hafejee said: “One hesitates to bandy around the name of (Harold) Shipman too regularly but you will be aware of the impact of professional dependency on drugs and the perception that it creates.”
Shipman, from nearby Hyde, was convicted in 2000 of murdering 15 of his patients but is believed to have killed many more.
However, Miss Leighton’s lawyer Paul Rooney said there was no evidence that the drugs were for personal use and police dropped the charges because persuing it was not deemed to be “in the public interest”.
Ms Leighton smiled at her lawyer as the panel announced its decision to impose interim conditions of practise“ which set out restrictions with which she must comply if she returns to nursing.
These stipulate that she is limited to working at Stepping Hill Hospital; she is banned from ordering drugs; she is not allowed to possess keys to areas where drugs are stored and she must not administer any drugs unless under the supervision of another registered nurse. She has been instructed that she must notify her employer of these restrictions.
