Press Release

Operating department practitioner removed from HPC register.

14 May 2007

A panel of the conduct and competence committee met on the 9 May to consider the case of Helen Taylor.The Panel heard that while  the registrant was employed as an operating department practitioner at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester she took the residue of a patients legally administered Propofol (a controlled anaesthetic agent) and equipment from the operating theatre department where she worked.

Ms Taylor admitted to her senior manager that she had taken the drug and equipment on 21 April 2005. She later admitted having self administered the Propofol and in a letter to the Trust she gave a detailed account of how she did that as well as the reasons why. Ultimately, she was dismissed from her employment for these matters on 7 November 2005 on the grounds of gross misconduct.

Panel Chair, Derek Adrian-Harris said: "The Panel has determined that this case has centred around an abuse of trust, premeditated deliberate actions and reckless behaviour on the part of the registrant. There has been no independent evidence to suggest that the registrant is able to work in the future to resolve these issues without succumbing to self administration of stolen drugs. Therefore striking off is the only option that adequately protects the public and maintains confidence in the regulatory process and in the profession"

The Health Professions Council is an independent, UK-wide health regulator set up by the Health Professions Order (2001). The HPC keeps a register for thirteen different health professions and only  registers people who meet the standards it sets for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health. The HPC will take action against health professionals who do not meet these standards or who use a protected title illegally.