Nurse addicted to painkillers lied to GPs to get prescriptions
ANURSE who was addicted to painkillers lied to GPs and even posed as her own mum so she could get prescription drugs.
Jennifer Peters also pretended to be her best friend and her mother-in-law to obtain Pregabalin from NHS out of hours services.
Peters lied to get the drugs on 13 occasions across a six month period, while working as a senior ward sister at Southport and Formby District General Hospital.
The mum-of-four began taking the painkillers following “two very difficult births” but became addicted to the medication in 2017.
After being interviewed by police she was the subject of a disciplinary hearing at the hospital and subsequently resigned, however she later got a job with the ambulance service as a call handler.
Peters, 46, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after admitting five charges of fraud.
Olivia Brady, prosecuting, said that between February 11, 2017 and November 11 that year, Peters called NHS out of hours services in attempts to get the prescription drug.
The court heard she pretended to be her mother-in-law and her best friend as well as her own mum in efforts to get the drug.
Mr Brady explained that on some occasion Peters would be successful in obtaining the drugs, but on others would not.
The court heard Peters, of Kempton Park Road, Aintree, has no previous convictions.
Ian Till, defending, said she is of “impeccable previous good character” having worked as a nurse for 13 years, and immediately admitted the offences in interview.
Mr Till said: “She had for some time been on prescription medication given by the GP for what started out as pain management for two very difficult births.
“The initial level of pain management was such that the initial level of medication wasn’t addressing the pain threshold she was facing at the time.”
He explained she began using a friend’s name and her mother’s details to obtain the prescription medication while she was on maternity leave and concerns grew that she was becoming addicted to them.
Mr Till said it was a “welcome relief” to Peters when she was asked to attend an interview in June 2018 and she then told police of further instances where she had used fraudulent names.
He told the court that when interviewed Peters was “nothing other than remorseful, disgusted with her own behaviour and ashamed”.
Following a second interview she resigned from her position as a ward sister, but during a delay in court proceedings obtained a job with the ambulance service as a call handler.
Mr Till explained that by the time of the interview Peters had gained support from a GP and her addiction was being managed.
The court also heard that Peters told her friends and family what she had done, and there was now a “level of support” even from those she had taken the identity of.
District Judge James Hatton, sentencing, said: “I take into account your impeccable good character with a long career in nursing which has now been ruined as a result of you own actions.
“In some respects that makes this even worse that you have abused the system in that way.”
The judge said: “You let down your friends, let down your family. You need to recognise how serious this offending behaviour was.”
Peters was handed a 40-week sentence suspended for 18 months and was ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work.
She was also ordered to complete 10 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirements, pay £85 costs and a £140 victim surcharge.