Blackpool Victoria Hospital nurses drugged stroke unit patients for ‘amusement and easy life’, court told

Catherine Hudson, 54, of Coriander Close, Blackpool, and Charlotte Wilmot, 48, of Bowland Crescent, Blackpool, are also said to have targeted some patients at the hospital if they disliked them or the patients’ relatives.

Preston Crown Court heard Hudson boasted about sedating one of her alleged victims in a text message to another colleague in which she wrote: “I sedated one of them to within an inch of her life lol. Bet she’s flat for a week haha xxx”.”

Opening the case on Wednesday (September 6), prosecutor Peter Wright said: “We say the defendants treated patients not with care and compassion, but with contempt.

“They considered them, or some of them, to be an imposition, an irritation.

“Patients were ill-treated. They were sedated either for the amusement of these defendants or simply to keep them quiet and to make their life easier, and their work less onerous or arduous.

“The risks to the patients were obvious, but we say they didn’t care.

“They thought it was amusing. It was something which they would brag about or share as a joke on social media and with other members of staff who shared their particular brand of humour.”

Mr Wright said the defendants “through their own mouths” in those messages had revealed a “culture of abuse” on the unit.

A whistleblowing student nurse brought events she allegedly witnessed while on work placement at the unit to the attention of the authorities in November 2018, the court heard.

Mr Wright said a detailed and lengthy investigation followed into various activities at the hospital, which included an examination of the defendants’ electronic devices.

A message exchange between Hudson, an experienced Band 5 registered nurse, and Wilmot, a Band 4 assistant practitioner, about an elderly male patient was read to the court.

Hudson wrote: “I’m going to kill bed 5 xxx.”

Wilmot replied: “Pmsl (p****** 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 b getting sedated to hell pmsfl . I’ll get u the abx (anti-biotic) xxx”.

Later, Hudson wrote: “I’ve just sedated him lol he was gearing up to start (laughing emoji) xxx”.

Wilmot said: “Pmsl (tablet emoji) praise the lord Xxx”.

Another set of messages between the friends showed an “antipathy” towards an elderly female patient and her daughter, said the prosecutor.

Hudson posted: “R u actually kidding me?? Surely there’s no one worse than her!! Which bay?? I’m in pink tonight , no dick heads had better b in there or they r being sedated (laughing emojis)!! Xxx”.

Wilmot replied: “Yeah very f***ing annoying. Give her the best sleep she ever had pmsl (laughing emojis) xxx”.

Hudson said “Permanently (laughing emojis) xxx”.

The Crown say Hudson bragged about sedating another patient to a healthcare assistant when she wrote: “I sedated on(e) of them to within an inch of her life lol. Bet she’s flat for a week haha xxx.”

On the following day she inquired about the same patient to Wilmot.

Hudson wrote: “What’s bed 29 been doing today pmsfl. Not a f***ing lot I bet!! Seeing as I sedated her on sat and sun lol lol xxx.”

Wilmot replied: “Yeahhhh I knew it, everything you gave her has started working today!!!! made for a nice day though, it ain’t been bad lol. Xxx.”

Hudson responded: “”She was driving me mad , so it was pxd (prescribed) and had to b done lol . She needed the rest xxx.”

To another colleague, Hudson wrote: “What a lovely day I have had in blue bay today. Sedated all the troublemakers lol xxx.”

Mr Wright said Hudson was also involved in depriving patients of prescribed laxatives, as she “inelegantly” remarked in one message: “No shitting on my shift.”

He said the defendant was covertly recorded in her home as part of the investigation that followed.

Mr Wright said: “In one conversation she said this – which you may think sums up the entirety of this case – ‘It’s almost like a hidden inside rule that we all have. That we stick together whatever we do.

“‘It’s just taken to the grave. Take it to the grave – we say that all the time and this stupid f***ing student has spoiled this’.”

Hudson denies ill-treating four patients and stealing Mebeverine, a medicine, intended for a end-of-life care patient.

Wilmot denies encouraging Hudson to sedate one of those patients, and both defendants have also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to ill-treat another patient.

The alleged ill-treatment offences are said to have taken place between February 2017 and November 2018.

The case continues.