Catherine Hudson, 54, had drugged two patients for an “easy life” while working at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between April 2017 and November 2018. Hudson wrote about one of her victims: “I sedated one of them to within an inch of her life lol. Bet she’s flat for a week haha xxx.”
She was also convicted of conspiring with a junior colleague, Charlotte Wilmot, 48, to administer a sedative to a third patient. Wilmot was jailed for three years, while a third member of staff, Marek Grabienowski, was jailed for 14 months for perverting the course of justice.
Police had been alerted after a whistleblowing student nurse on a work placement reported that Hudson had suggested administering unprescribed zopiclone to a patient. The sleeping pill zopiclone is potentially life-threatening if given inappropriately to acutely unwell patients.
The student nurse became further alarmed after Hudson commented: “Well she’s got a DNAR [do not attempt resuscitation] in place so she wouldn’t be opened up if she died or like if it came to any harm.”
After officers examined WhatsApp messages between the two defendants and their colleagues, a “culture of abuse” was revealed on the unit. In a message exchange about an elderly male patient, Hudson wrote: “I’m going to kill bed 5 xxx.”
Wilmot replied: “Pmsl [pissing myself laughing] well tonight sedate him to high heaven lol xxx.”
Hudson said: “Already in my head to give him double!!”
The next evening, Hudson messaged Wilmot: “If bed 5 starts he will be getting sedated to hell pmsfl. I’ll get u the abx (antibiotic) xxx.”
Later, Hudson wrote: “I’ve just sedated him lol he was gearing up to start (laughing emoji) xxx.”
This story is from the December 15, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the December 15, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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