A woman has been sacked for taking two tablets from Arrowe Park Hospital where she worked.
Francesca Morgan, from Woolton, said she took the tablets to treat a headache during a shift. The 32-year-old was caught taking the prescriptions from the hospital's pharmacy "without a legitimate reason" a court heard.
She took a co-codamol pill and then a paracetamol tablet after she began feeling unwell while working. Before this, it was reported police had already begun an investigation after health officials noticed that prescription medication had been going missing from their stock.
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Due to the investigation, they then installed a camera, which captured Morgan taking the drugs. It later emerged that she took the drugs without the required permission, in writing, on the "assumption" that she was allowed to take the medication herself.
She appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court where she pleaded guilty to two offences of theft by employee, between the period of June 6 and June 18 of last year. In prosecuting, Yvonne Dobson said: "The hospital began an investigation due to a large number of pills needing replenishment.
"A tablet count was put in place to monitor the amount of medication at the beginning and end of each day. That was put in place without the knowledge of the staff.
"Following this a covert camera was put in place. A number of staff were found to not be following the correct procedure in the handling of medication."
Miss Dobson added that the defendant was "seen to take medication without a legitimate reason. She said: "She was stealing the medication for herself. On the first occasion she took some co-codamol. On the second occasion it was paracetamol."
The prosecutor added that Morgan was then seen swallowing the tablets with a drink, stressing that the nurse was not wholly accused of being responsible for the theft of all of the drugs. She added: "We are not accusing her of the entire theft.
"These are two limited incidents. She believed that she had implied consent to take the medication. There was a lack of previous convictions but she has now lost her good character."
In mitigation defence solicitor Laura Flynn told the court that Morgan had not only lost her job, but also her career as a consequence of the thefts.
She had also lost her home and has since been forced to move back in with her grandmother.
Ms Flynn went on to say that Morgan had been suffering headaches while on shift, and believed that it was acceptable to take the medication as other nurses had also been doing the same.
The magistrates granted her a 12-month conditional discharge and made her pay £144 in costs and victim surcharge.
Speaking about the incident, Chairman Peter Mawdsley said: "You have already suffered the loss of your job and your home. In light of that a conditional discharge is appropriate."
The hospital has declined to comment on Morgan's dismissal or subsequent prosecution.
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