Doctor who stole drugs from hospital suspended

Lawrence Michael Armstrong - not pictured - was suspended by the panel by four months following his court appearances

A doctor who repeatedly used an out of date ID card to steal drugs from a hospital he used to work at has been suspended.

Lawrence Michael Armstrong dressed up as a doctor and "followed staff" around the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he previously worked, between May 2021 and October 2021.

He admitted drug possession and burglary and burglary with intent to steal in October 2023 and was given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, in November 2023.

A panel said while his conduct was unacceptable, Armstrong had worked to remediate his wrongdoing and did not need to be stripped of his registration.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel recognised that Armstrong, who works for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, was under "extreme stress and pressure working during the peak of the Covid pandemic" when his offending took place.

It also found he was at an early stage of his career and had self-referred to his regulator the day after he was released on police bail.

Armstrong admitted two counts of burglary, two counts of burglary with intent to steal and possession of class B and class C drugs at Oxford Magistrates' Court in October 2023.

In being given his suspended jail sentence at Oxford Crown Court in November 2023, he was told to complete 150 hours unpaid work. They have been completed.

The MPTS panel said Armstrong's self-reflection had been "extensive" and that he had worked well to gain an insight into his offending.

It suspended him for four months and said that was sufficient to mark his conviction and uphold public confidence.