A nurse has been struck off the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) register for stealing drugs for her own use.

The hearing was held in London on 21st April and the independent panel of the NMC's Conduct and Competence Committee heard evidence that Lorraine Hill, 43 from Tittensor, Stoke-on-Trent had been regularly stealing sedatives (Midazolam and Diazemuls) from her employer.

Ms Hill was employed as a staff nurse in the Nuclear Medicine Department of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, based on two hospital sites at the City General Hospital and the Royal Infirmary when over a period of four months in 2005 she stole 150 vials of Diazemuls and 90 vials of Midazolam for her personal use. The panel also heard that she had on a number of occasions altered drugs orders and forged a colleague's signature on a drugs top-up order form at the Royal Infirmary.

The panel determined that the only way to maintain the public's confidence in the nursing profession was to strike her name from the register.

Commenting on the panel's decision, NMC spokesperson Leila Harris said;

"Ms Hill's actions were a clear departure from the behaviour that is expected of a nurse. Her actions were deliberate and calculated and occurred over several months. As a registered nurse she is expected to be trustworthy and to uphold the reputation of her profession. Her failure to comply with her Code of Conduct has resulted in her no longer being able to work as a nurse."

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. The primary purpose of the NMC is protection of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses eligible to practice within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct. Currently the number of registrants exceeds 674,000. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (The Order), sets out the NMC's role and responsibilities.

Nursing & Midwifery Council