A MIDWIFE who stole 27 doses of morphine from an Essex hospital has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

Laura MacNeil, 24, of Orchard Road, Burnham, admitted the 27 counts of the theft of morphine, a Class A drug, from her employer the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

MacNeil also admitted possessing Co-Codamol, a Class B drug, and Diazepam, a Class C drug.

MacNeil, who had been working on an antenatal ward at Queen’s Hospital in Romford when the offences took place between June 15 and 18, 2016, had admitted the thefts at a hearing at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court in December.

She was sentenced to one-year imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Snaresbrook Crown Court last Thursday.

A series of false patient entries in a controlled drug register were made by MacNeil to obtain doses of morphine, which she administered to herself.

Officers from Metropolitan Police's Controlled Drug Liaison Unit arrested MacNeil on July 14 last year and she was charged on November 22.

The matter has been referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who will conduct their own investigation and decide on sanctions regarding MacNeil's registration and fitness to practice as a nurse.

As part of her criminal sentence, MacNeil must also complete 200 hours unpaid work.

PC Wendy McAllister, who led the investigation, said: "MacNeil abused her position of trust as a midwife to steal morphine for her own use.

"Although no patients went without their prescriptions, MacNeil set up false entries on the controlled drug register using the names of people on the ward she was treating.

"This case demonstrates how the Controlled Drug Liaison Unit will prosecute any medical professional guilty of stealing from their employer."