Hospital worker took anaesthetic gas to sleep

Troy Butler was found asleep on a trolley by a colleague

A hospital worker was found asleep on a trolley after taking anaesthetic gas to help him sleep, a disciplinary tribunal has heard.

Troy Butler was working as an operating department practitioner (ODP) at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust at the time of the incident on 19 April 2023.

A Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) panel heard Mr Butler was found asleep by a colleague and when challenged later said he had been "desperate for sleep" due to working long hours.

The panel accepted his behaviour was an isolated incident and took account of his remorse in reaching its conclusion that a 12-month caution order was appropriate.

The panel heard Mr Butler worked within the hospital's emergency team and resuscitation team and was responsible for responding to cardiac arrests across the hospital and also worked within the anaesthetic department.

At the time of the incident, colleagues had been asked to set up for emergency theatre at about 01:00 BST and tried to find Mr Butler.

He was eventually found asleep on a trolley with a sheet over him with the gas in his hand.

The colleague who found him tried to wake him, but it took about 30 to 60 minutes before he was fully acting normally, the panel heard.

He was, under supervision, able to finish his shift and the patient in theatre was safely operated on.

'Stupid' behaviour

Later that morning when questioned about the incident by a senior nurse he said he had been "desperate for sleep" and had been working long hours.

He accepted what he had done and expressed regret for his "ridiculous decision" to turn on the anaesthetic gas.

His conduct was referred to the HCPC, but he continued to work at the hospital.

Giving evidence to the panel, Mr Butler explained he had been working up to 70 hours a week, taking on agency work and occasional work in a bar as well as his contracted hours.

He acknowledged his behaviour had been "stupid and selfish" and had put patients, colleagues and the public at risk and said he realised by incapacitating himself he could have left his team under-staffed.

Since, the incident he said he no longer over-stretched himself and had improved his work-life balance.

The panel accepted it was an "isolated incident" and there was a "low likelihood" he would repeat such misconduct in the future.

The panel said the misconduct did not involve his clinical practice, which "appears to be of a high standard" and it was in the public interest he should continue to practice without restriction.

A caution order is the lowest level of sanction for health professionals. It appears on the HCPC Register but does not restrict the person's ability to practice.

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