Son calls nurses 'pure evil' after they drugged his mum in Blackpool Victoria Hospital

The son of a hospital patient who was given sedatives by a nurse to "keep her quiet and compliant" has said her ill-treatment will "haunt" her family "for the rest of their lives", a court has heard.

In October nurse Catherine Hudson, from Blackpool, was found guilty at Preston Crown Court of giving the sedative zopiclone, a class C controlled drug, to 76-year-old Aileen Scott.

On Wednesday 13 December, Aileen's son Brian Scott delivered his victim personal statement and said the “bravery” of the whistleblower had “most likely saved my mum’s life”.

Turning to Hudson in the dock, he said: “Thanks to the bravery of a student nurse in highlighting you and your evil and uncaring ways, it has most likely saved my mum’s life.

“The way you spoke about them (patients) is beyond belief and nothing short of wicked and pure evil.

“My mum is a proud lady. She has lived a wonderful life, she was a successful company director and always took great pride in her appearance.

“She was and still is a lady with a big heart, polite and kind. Never been a nuisance to anyone.

“To this day my mum is fearful about going into hospital. Why? Because of the treatment she received by Catherine Hudson and others at Blackpool.

“This will haunt us for the rest of our lives.”

The 54-year-old drugged two patients for an “easy life” during work shifts at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between April 2017 and November 2018.

She was found guilty on five counts of ill-treatment of patients & theft of medication. She was cleared of ill-treating two other patients.

Zopiclone was potentially life-threatening if given inappropriately to acutely unwell patients, the court heard.

Fellow nurse Charlotte Wilmot, 48, also from Blackpool was found guilty of conspiring to administer a sedative to a third patient.

Police were called in November 2018 to investigate after a whistleblowing student nurse on a work placement said Hudson suggested administering unprescribed zopiclone to a patient.

The student nurse was further troubled when Hudson commented: “Well she’s got a DNAR (do not attempt resuscitation) in place so she wouldn’t be opened up if she died or like if it came to any harm.”

Mr Scott said he and his mother – who was not fit to join him at court – had travelled from Glasgow to the seaside resort in October 2018 for a “well-earned break” to spend quality time together.

The following day Mrs Scott suffered a stroke in her room at the Imperial Hotel and was completely paralysed on the left side of her body as she was rushed to Blackpool Victoria, he said.

Mr Scott said: “I was informed by a consultant that my mum’s condition was critical and the first 24 hours would be crucial as to whether she would survive. We were devastated.”

He said initially he felt assured his mother was being treated in a safe and caring environment in what he was told was an award-winning unit.

Mr Scott said: “She was completely immobile and unable to get out of bed. She relied on staff to assist her with personal care, food and the administration of prescribed medication.

“They failed my mum and all my family, it is a miracle that she survived.”

Prosecutors said a “culture of abuse” was revealed on the unit when police examined WhatsApp phone messages between the co-defendants and other members of staff.

Both defendants denied all the allegations and claimed the private messages were “banter” and not supposed to be taken seriously.

Hudson was also convicted of stealing mebeverine, a medication intended for an end-of-life patient.

She pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiring with other colleagues to steal other drugs including zopiclone and also a further offence of perverting the course of justice.

Wilmot was convicted of encouraging Hudson to ill-treat a patient and also pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal medication from the hospital.

Both nurses are due to be sentenced on Thursday 14 December.

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