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Nurse banned over medicines theft

A children’s nurse who stole Diazepam and Co-codamol tablets from the Shropshire hospital where she worked has been struck off for a year.

Former staff nurse Nicola Robert, 32, of Wrexham, admitted stealing medicine including 20 Co-codamol tablets, eight Tramadol tablets, and five Diazepam tablets from the Robert and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital, in Oswestry, in January 2005.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) made a 12-month sanction after more than two hours of private deliberations at MacDonald Holland House on Newport Road, Cardiff.

Robert was also served with an 18-month interim order.

Deputy chair Robert Holdsworth said although Robert, who has since been fired from her post, did not cause harm to patients, it was only appropriate to discipline her.

He said: “We recognise she was exposed to material difficulties which explains some of the reasons for her behaviour.

“We have heard in private how she had certain domestic circumstances and was not well at the time.

“But many nurses have ill health without resorting to the theft of medicines.”

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