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Nurse Struck Off for Stealing Drugs 22 Times
7 Feb
Summary
- Nurse Helen McLaughlan took drugs 22 times from hospital.
- She falsified records, claiming drugs were for patients.
- The nurse resigned after a medication check found missing drugs.
A nurse has been removed from the professional register after an investigation found she repeatedly took medication for her own use. Helen McLaughlan accessed drugs from an accident and emergency store at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough on 22 occasions over approximately six months. She falsified dispensing records, claiming the medications, including painkillers, were for patients who were no longer receiving treatment or were not even in the hospital.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) became involved in April 2021, shortly after a routine medication check highlighted discrepancies, including missing pregabalin. McLaughlan resigned from her position later that month.
During the investigation, McLaughlan offered no clear explanation for her actions, suggesting her login credentials might have been used by someone else after she failed to log out of the dispensing system. The NMC panel concluded her conduct represented a serious breach of professional standards, resulting in her dismissal from the nursing register.
