Blackpool nurse's sedating patient message was 'banter', jury told

The nurses are on trial for the alleged ill-treatment of patients

A nurse who messaged a colleague to sedate a stroke unit patient "to high heaven" said the comment was "banter", a court heard.

Catherine Hudson, 54, and Charlotte Wilmot, 48, are on trial over the alleged ill-treatment of patients while working as nurses at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between 2017 and 2018.

Their WhatsApp messages were uncovered following allegations by a whistleblower.

The pair have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors claimed the pair were involved in drugging patients for their "own amusement" and an "easy life" during work shifts.

Peter Wright KC told jurors at Preston Crown Court the messages between Ms Hudson, an experienced band five registered nurse, and Ms Wilmot, a band four assistant practitioner, had revealed a "culture of abuse".

When interviewed by detectives, Ms Wilmot admitted the messages "sound awful" but were merely "black humour".

In an exchange about an elderly male patient, Ms Hudson wrote: "I'm going to kill bed five."

Ms Wilmot replied: "Well tonight sedate him to high heaven lol."

Ms Hudson said: "Already in my head to give him double!!"

Ms Wilmot told detectives: "It's all just literally black humour, banter.

"Never did I think she would do anything like that. That was just the kind of way we would stress relief."

In another exchange about the same patient, Ms Hudson messaged Ms Wilmot: "If bed five starts he will [be] getting sedated to hell... I'll get [you] the abx [anti-biotic]".

Later, Ms Hudson wrote: "I've just sedated him lol he was gearing up to start [laughing emoji]."

Ms Wilmot replied: "Praise the lord."

Asked by police what she now thought of this conversation, Ms Wilmot said: "Never would I have taken it literally.

"It's never like I thought she would do that, especially if they were not prescribed. It was just banter."

'Dark sense of humour'

Jurors heard about another message exchange involving another patient in which Ms Hudson wrote: "What's bed 29 been doing today. Not a... lot I bet! Seeing as I sedated her on [Saturday] and [Sunday] lol."

Ms Wilmot replied: "[Yeah] I knew it, everything you gave her has started working today! Made for a nice day though, it ain't been bad lol."

Ms Hudson responded: "She was driving me mad so it was pxd [prescribed] and had to [be] done lol. She needed the rest."

Ms Wilcock said: "Pity ya can't do it to... [another patient] and her daughter."

Ms Wilcock told detectives: "It's just a dark sense of humour that gets you through the job.

"It's just humour and replying back. I had no doubt in my mind that if she was giving them anything, that would be prescribed.

"But it was just her humour.

"I didn't think she was going round and sedating anybody."

She added: "Basically like when people are mad and frustrated, and say all sorts of things."

The nurses are on trial at Preston Crown Court

Ms Wilcock said she took Ms Hudson's messages "with a pinch of salt".

She said: "She [Hudson] has a strange sense of humour, very dark.

"But when it comes to patients she is a very good nurse.

"I have never had a problem with her."

Ms Wilcock said her senior colleague could "come across as quite a dominating person" but said she was not afraid of her.

One of the sedatives said to have been used was Zopiclone, which Mr Wright said was potentially life-threatening if given inappropriately.

Ms Wilcock said she had never given, or had asked to give, unprescribed Zopiclone to a patient.

She said she could not deal with medications in her role as assistant practitioner.

Ms Hudson, of Coriander Close, Blackpool, denies ill-treating four patients and stealing Mebeverine, a medicine.

Ms Wilmot, of Bowland Crescent, Blackpool, denies encouraging Ms Hudson to sedate one of those patients.

Both defendants have also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to ill-treat another patient.

The trial continues.

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