A Fife nurse who ordered drugs for her own use has been suspended for nine months.
Claire Farmer, who was working as a staff nurse in ward seven at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, at the time, was said to have been having personal difficulties.
These included being in an abusive relationship “which caused serious stress and anxiety and caused her extreme financial hardship” and enduring a difficult working relationship with a colleague.
The combination of those factors led to the development of a health condition and excessive drinking, which had been serious enough to lead to Ms Farmer being admitted to hospital for treatment.
Ms Farmer, who has not worked as a nurse since she resigned in 2010, was said to have shown “entirely genuine” remorse, embarrassment and humiliation at what she had done.
The conduct and competence committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard the incident came to light in February 2010 when it was reported there was a discrepancy between the number of Diazepam and Zopiclone tablets used as sleeping pills which were being ordered and those being prescribed to patients.
When the matter was investigated the conclusion was drawn that the nurse, who is of previous good character, had been ordering the medication for her own personal use. Pills were found in her possession and she made a full admission.
Ms Farmer admitted the theft of medication from her employer at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court later that year. Sentence had been deferred until January 2011, when she was admonished by the court.
An NMC hearing was arranged to determine if the nurse’s fitness to practise was impaired by her actions.
“On the face of the papers, she never sought to conceal her actions. This does show a level of insight into her failings,” the NMC committee stated, adding there had been no question raised over her clinical ability, nor any evidence to suggest she posed any direct risk to patients.
It found she was in breach of points of the nursing code which call on staff to be open and honest, act with integrity and uphold the reputation of the profession and adhere to the law of the country in which they work.
“The offence was a gross breach of trust between Ms Farmer and her employer,” the panel said, adding that the reputation of the profession, and public confidence, would be undermined should it not find Ms Farmer’s fitness to practise to be impaired.
While agreeing she had shown remorse and apologised, and taking into account her personal circumstances, the panel decided the conviction for theft of drugs was too serious to allow it to issue a caution only.
Because of her health and background to the theft, it believed striking her off would be disproportionate. Bearing that in mind, it decided a nine-month suspension would be appropriate.
“This sanction reflects the gravity of the offence while maintaining the public confidence in the profession and it is in the registrant’s own interests,” the committee added.
It noted that Ms Farmer had made good progress in moving on from this difficult time in her life and felt it was in the public’s interests to allow “an otherwise competent nurse” the chance to return to practise if she could demonstrate she was fit to work.
They also made an interim suspension order of 18 months as, in the event of an appeal, the process could take some months.
A spokeswoman for NHS Fife said: “We can confirm Claire Farmer is not currently employed by NHS Fife. NHS Fife does not comment further on staff, past or present.”