NWOKOLO: MIDWIFE SUSPENDED FOR TAKING DRUGS FROM HOSPITAL WARD

A crooked midwife who helped herself to hospital drugs then lied about giving them to patients has been banned from working for a year.
 
Rose Nwokolo recorded giving medication to women who were away or did not exist while she was working at Queens Hospital in Romford, Essex, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.
 
Nwokolo admitted taking strong painkillers, pethidine and morphine sulphate, from the hospital’s Coral Ward on four occasions before January 8, 2008.
 
The midwife, who was employed by Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust, also owned up to incorrectly recording in the ward’s controlled drug book that she gave the medication to patients between November 31 and December 26, 2007.
 
Nwokolo claimed she was dealing with ‘exceptionally difficult personal circumstances’ at the time of the theft, relating to her health and close family, details of which were heard in secret.
 
She admitted that her conduct was dishonest and that her fitness to practice was impaired.
 
Louise Culleton, for the NMC, told the tribunal: ‘An investigation highlighted a discrepancy between the controlled drugs administered to women on the ward and the records kept in the controlled drugs book as to how the drugs had been dispensed.
 
‘The inquiry revealed that in some cases, records showed the drugs had not been dispensed to women on the ward or that the women were absent or did not exist.’
 
NMC panel chairman Stephen Barker said Nwokolo’s removal of the drugs was ‘an extremely serious matter’.
 
‘Ms Nwokolo’s dishonesty and breaches of the NMC code fell far short of the conduct expected of a registered midwife.
 
‘The panel has no hesitation in determining this was misconduct and that it was serious.’
 
Nwokolo fitness to practice was deemed to be impaired and the panel issued her with a 12-month suspension order.
 
Mr Barker added: ‘Theft of controlled drugs is an extremely serious matter and the events that led to Ms Nwokolo’s appearance before this panel were serious departures from the fundamental tenets of the profession.
 
‘The panel accept that Ms Nwokolo regrets her actions, has shown remorse and insight into the incident and has expressed genuine apology for your actions.
 
‘She gave evidence concerning exceptionally difficult personal circumstances. The panel found her to be a credible and reliable witness and accepted her evidence.
 
‘Having regard to all the circumstances, the panel concluded that a suspension order for a period of 12 months is a sufficient sanction to mark the seriousness of your actions.’
 
Nwokolo, who attended the hearing but was unrepresented, has 28 days to appeal against the decision.
ENDS