An on-duty NHS nurse who was caught stealing two headache tablets from a hospital pharmacy has been suspended from her profession after being told she poses a ‘continuing risk to the public’.
Franchesca Morgan lost her job at Arrowe Park Hospital, near Liverpool, after taking paracetamol and co-codamol without permission when she felt unwell while on duty.
Now, a year and a half later, she has been suspended from the entire profession for six months.
Ms Morgan was caught after secret surveillance installed by police recorded her taking the pills twice, in June 2022, without first getting written consent.
Police launched an investigation after hospital bosses noticed prescription drugs were missing. At the end of each shift, a tablet count was carried out and a secret camera was installed by the police.
NHS nurse Franchesca Morgan, 32, lost her job after she was caught stealing two tablets from a hospital drugstore to treat her headaches while she worked
Now, a year and a half later, she has been suspended from the entire profession for six months
And while it was not suggested that Miss Morgan was responsible for the wider medication theft, she was prosecuted for taking co-codamol and paracetamol.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by an employee in December 2022 and told Wirral Magistrates’ Court she believed she was allowed to take the medication after feeling unwell during shifts.
She also told the court that as a result of the prosecution she had lost her job and home and had since moved in with her grandmother.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has now suspended the nurse for the next six months after a disciplinary panel found she had not shown sufficient insight into why her actions were wrong.
In a reflective statement issued as part of the disciplinary process, Miss Morgan said: “I recognize that it is not acceptable to take medication belonging to the department as this could be seen as theft. I spent many hours thinking about the situation I found myself in.’
But the NMC was still unconvinced, describing its insight as ‘quite limited’.
They said: ‘The panel was not satisfied that Ms Morgan demonstrated a full or developed understanding of the issues raised by the proven allegations.
‘We believe there is an ongoing risk to the public due to the registrant’s lack of full understanding and inability to confirm how it would prevent this from happening again.’
Morgan took a co-codamol pill and, on another occasion, a paracetamol tablet after feeling unwell while working at Arrowe Park Hospital near Liverpool in June 2021.
Police began investigating the thefts after health officials noticed prescription drugs missing from Arrowe Park Hospital between June 6 and June 18 last year.
The Woolton nurse, who was born in the same town as John Lennon’s childhood home, told the disciplinary committee she had also once taken the laxative lactulose while on duty.
She initially lied during an internal investigation, saying she had never taken the medication while on duty – before accepting she had done so after being provided with CCTV footage.
After losing her job at Arrowe Park Hospital, Ms Morgan moved in with her grandmother as a result and although the NMC ‘noted how difficult it was’ to suspend her medical licence, they said the public would lose confidence if they didn’t take decisive action against her. .
Ms Morgan provided written evidence to the NMC saying she had taken ‘consent’ to take the medication because she felt unwell and claimed staff taking paracetamol were ‘normal’ on the ward.
In deciding to suspend her license for a period of six months, the panel – chaired by Konrad Chrzanowski – said: “The panel noted the hardship such an order will inevitably cause Miss Morgan.
After losing her job at Arrowe Park Hospital, Miss Morgan moved in with her grandmother as a result
‘However, this does not outweigh the public interest in this case. The panel considered that this decision is necessary to underline the importance of maintaining public confidence in the profession, and to send a clear message to the public and the profession about the standard of conduct expected of a registered nurse .
‘The panel found that a suspension order for a period of six months was appropriate in this case to reflect the seriousness of the misconduct.’
Miss Morgan was given a 12-month conditional discharge at her criminal sentencing hearing in December 2022. She was also ordered to pay £144 in costs and victim surcharge.
During that hearing, prosecutor Yvonne Dobson said: The defendant was also seen taking medication without a legitimate reason. She stole the drugs for herself. The first time she took co-codamol. The second time it was paracetamol.’
‘Miss Dobson said she swallowed tablets with a drink. She believed she had given implicit consent to take the drugs. There was a lack of previous convictions but she has now lost her good character.’