A PAEDIATRIC nurse has been struck off after she was caught on CCTV swigging bottles of painkillers she stole from a children’s ward.

Whilst working at Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, Laura Catherine Cooper, from Middlesbrough, was filmed consuming liquid codeine.

She also later confessed to consuming liquid morphine, oramorph while on shift.

Following an investigation by the Nursing And Midwifery Council (NMC), she has now been removed from the nursing register.

The NMC panel said: “The charges arose whilst you were employed as a registered nurse on the children’s paediatric ward at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital by The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

“Between October 2016 and March 2018 a discrepancy was uncovered in relation to the stock levels of codeine on the ward.

“It was found that the liquid codeine stock levels were unaccountably diminishing on a regular basis and the liquid codeine appeared diluted.

“CCTV was installed in the medicines administration room as part of the investigation into this.

“Over a two week period this showed that you were taking and consuming codeine and oramorph and were tampering with the codeine by way of diluting the remaining contents.”

The trust first became alerted to the incidents after a staff member noticed the liquid codeine was not as thick as usual.

Three bottles were removed from the ward and tested for their potency.

Results showed that the strength of the medicine, which is usually close to 100 per cent, was 71 per cent, 45 per cent and 25 per cent.

Cooper was arrested from on March 14, 2018 and self-referred to the NMC on March 20, 2018.

Prior to the NMC hearing Cooper was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work after she pleaded guilty to theft and exposing to or supplying an adulterated medical product at Newcastle Crown Court in 2019.

The NMC panel said: “Patients were put at risk of unwarranted harm as a result of the conduct which led to your conviction.

"The panel noted that you are remorseful for your conduct and have clearly reflected on the events which led to your conviction."