Nurse abused Peterborough City Hospital colleagues while drunk, tribunal hears

Theolakele Hlefane arrived drunk to her night shift at Peterborough City Hospital but refused to leave and the police had to be called, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

Monwara Shah, for the NMC said: ‘She worked while unfit due to alcohol consumption.

‘The registrant had been provided to work at the hospital by a nurse agency on the night shift of May 28, 2014.

‘Around 9:30pm a witness saw the registrant discussing matters with a doctor.

‘She saw that the registrant was shouting and being aggressive, but she thought the registrant was being concerned for the patient, so didn’t intervene.’

But suspicions grew among nurses and patients as her behaviour grew more erratic.

‘She had only done six patients’ medication in an hour,’ said Mr Shah.

‘Patients had complained and expressed their concerns.

‘A nurse then told a supervisor she thought that the registrant had wine in her locker room.’

The room was checked, and an empty Pinot Grigio bottle was found in Hlefane’s bag, as well as two small bottles of a bitter lemon alcoholic drink.

The panel heard when confronted about the alcohol, Hlefane became aggressive, calling the nurse ‘a f***ing liar’ and a ‘racist.’

She refused to leave the hospital, shouting: ‘Bring security, you can’t make me.’

Eventually the police had to escort her off the premises.

‘After the registrant had been taken off the premises by the police, they later found another bottle of empty Pinot Grigio,’ Mr Shah said.

It was identical to the one found in her bag.’

Hlefane, who is present at the hearing, has admitted to being unfit to work due to alcohol, as well as being verbally abusive to staff.

The panel will now decide whether her fitness to practise is currently impaired.

The hearing continues.