- Nurses guilty of patient mistreatment.
- Sedation for amusement exposed.
- NHS addresses misconduct concerns.
Between February 2017 and November 2018, Catherine Hudson, 54, and Charlotte Wilmot, 48, faced accusations of mistreating patients in a stroke unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in Lancashire.
A nurse and a healthcare worker have been found guilty of illegally medicating patients, despite allegations that they did so for their own amusement and a simpler lifestyle.
The Preston Crown Court heard that Catherine Hudson, 54, and Charlotte Wilmot, 48, mistreated those in their charge on a stroke unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Lancashire, between February 2017 and November 2018.
Hudson was discovered to have mistreated two patients. Both women were found guilty of conspiring to administer sedatives to a patient with the intent to harm her.
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Hudson was judged not guilty on three counts involving five patients out of a total of nine.
Wilmot was also convicted of encouraging Hudson to sedate a patient, while Hudson was convicted of stealing the substance Mebeverine, which is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome.
She pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiring with other coworkers to pilfer other drugs, including Zopilcone, as well as an additional charge of obstructing justice. Wilmot had also pled guilty to conspiring to pilfer hospital medication.
In November 2018, a student nurse on a clinical rotation reported to authorities that she witnessed Hudson administer unprescribed Zopiclone, a potentially lethal sleeping drug if administered improperly, to a patient.
The student nurse also reported that Hudson stated, “Well, she has a DNAR (do not attempt resuscitation) in place. So she would not be resuscitated if she died or if she was injured.”
The messages between Hudson, an experienced Band 5 registered nurse, and Wilmot, a Band 4 assistant practitioner, allegedly disclose a “culture of abuse.”
The women will be sentenced on December 13 and 14. Wilmot will be granted bail, whereas Hudson was remanded into detention.
After roughly 14 hours of deliberation, the verdicts were reached.
Brian Scott, the son of Aileen Scott, one of Hudson’s mistreated patients, called some of the women’s actions “absolute pure evil.”
“My mother had a haemorrhagic stroke and was paralysed. She was not a nuisance to hospital carers. She was helpless and depended on them for care and support,” he explained.
“It has been a difficult five years. I understand that some families did not receive the outcome they desired today, and my thoughts are with them all. However, justice has been served, and I hope this sends the NHS a message that substandard patient care is untenable. And to all the nurses who do an excellent job, I commend and thank you.
My mother is still ill, but she is thrilled to hear that justice has been served – it’s a wonderful outcome.
My mother’s fear of hospitals as a result of these nurses has had a significant impact on her.
Mr. Scott stated that “nothing could ever prepare you” for hearing the text messages exchanged by nurses.
“Hearing how they have spoken about patients who are people, and it’s not in jest, it’s absolute pure evil, and each and every one of them involved in this will hopefully hang their heads in shame – that they’ll reflect on the impact they’ve had on vulnerable people who needed their care the most.”
Jill Johnston, detective chief inspector at Lancashire Police, thanked the student nurse who reported Hudson and Wilmot to authorities, saying that she was “so brave in coming forward and supporting this lengthy investigation.”
“They were both seasoned healthcare professionals. They were both aware of the dangers. The dangers of administering non-prescribed and inappropriate sedatives to geriatric and fragile stroke patients.
“They were aware of the dangers but did not care. Catherine Hudson stated that if any of the patients are harmed, there will be no autopsy, investigation, and essentially no one will ever know. She and others quipped that they would bury these secrets with them.
Peter Wright, the prosecutor, told the jury that healthcare personnel treated patients with “disrespect” instead of “care and compassion.”
“They viewed them, or some of them, as a burden and an annoyance,” he said.
Patients were treated poorly. They were sedated either for the defendants’ amusement or simply to keep them silent and make their lives and work easier or less difficult.
“It was evident that the patients were at risk, but we assert that they did not care.
They viewed it as humorous. It was something they would boast about or share as a jest on social media and with other staff members who shared their sense of humour.”
Following the initiation of an investigation into the hospital’s alleged misdeeds, he stated that WhatsApp messages between the two were discovered.
In one exchange regarding an elderly male patient, Hudson wrote, “I’m going to kill 5 xxx.”
Wilmot responded, “Pmsl [p***ing myself laughing] well tonight sedate him to the highest heaven lol xxx.”
Hudson stated, “I’ve already decided to give him double!”
The following evening, Hudson sent Wilmot the following message: “If bed 5 begins, he will be sedated to purgatory. I’ll get you the antibiotic xxx.”
Jurors were told Hudson also boasted to a healthcare assistant about sedated another female patient with severe brain injury when she wrote: “I sedated one of them to within an inch of her life lol. I bet she’s a bachelorette for a week xxx.”
On the following day she queried Wilmot about the same patient, writing: “What’s bed 29 been doing today pmsfl. I’d wager not a f***ing lot!! Given that I sedated her on Saturday and Sunday, xxx.”
Wilmot responded, “Yeahhhh I knew it, everything you gave her began functioning today!!! However, it has been a pleasant day, so it hasn’t been all terrible lol. Xxx.”
Hudson responded, “She was driving me insane, so it was prescribed and necessary lmao. She required rest xxx.”
Mother to three Hudson denied giving drugs inappropriately and claimed the text conversations were “just banter” to relieve job-related tension.
She told the jury that the unit had been understaffed to a “completely dangerous level” for years, and that medication was “scattered” and easily accessible.
Hudson stated that the “whole ward was corrupt” and that “95% of the staff” would steal medications from the unit. Some would use them on the job, and she eventually “regrettably” stole narcotics.
Wilmot, sacked in 2020, said she had never provided or seen anyone give patients sleeping pills for a “easy life”.
After the verdict, the NHS trust where the women worked apologised to the patients, their families, and other colleagues.
Trish Armstrong-Child, chief executive of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “It is very evident from the evidence heard by the jury that inappropriate and unacceptable conduct and practises were taking place at the time.
“It is essential to reassure the community that Blackpool Teaching Hospitals has made significant strides in a variety of areas, including staffing, medicine management, and creating a more respectful culture.”
