Rebecca Leighton

[Rhodes]

Strangely enough I was going to start a thread about this appalling case back in July when Rebecca Leighton was wrongly arrested, wrongly charged and wrongly held in custody at Styal prison in Cheshire for a supposed murder plot involving tampering with saline drips at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport where she worked as a staff nurse and where up to 40 patients were affected, of which 7 sadly died. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) rightly dropped the case yesterday saying 'it was no longer appropriate for them to pursue a prosecution against Miss Leighton due to lack of sufficient evidence' and the theft charge was also dropped because 'it was not in the public interest to continue'.

[Big J R]

So I assume the police will have to resume enquiries ???

[Eastside Urchin]

pretty much ruined the girls life i would say.

[Big J R]

I read yesterday that police have re-opened enquiries, rather than give the old cliche....

 

'Police will not be pursuing the case further', which basically means, 'The guilty person got off, Gov !!'

[Rhodes]

Incredibly Rebecca Leighton has been unceremoniously sacked by heartless Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport despite being freed without charge following her false arrest on suspicion of murder, the ridiculous accusations that she tampered with saline solution with intent to endanger life were also dropped by the incompetent Crown Prosecution Service. The Nursing and Mid-wifery Council also lifted its suspension of her so it's a complete mystery why Miss Leighton was sacked although she has the right of appeal, and with a good lawyer, should hopefully be able to take the hospital to the cleaners.

[Loose]

Incredibly during your intense research and shock journalism you failed to somehow find out that Rebecca Leighton admitted stealing painkillers from Stepping Hill Hospital and was sacked for gross misconduct which anyone working in such a position of responsibility would be or are you going to argue that?

 

Fck me, you'll get a job with The Sun yet.

[Rhodes]

Loosely - So Rebecca Leighton took a couple of painkillers, probably asprin for a headache, it's obvious that the Hospital were looking for any excuse to get rid of her

[Loose]

probably

What you mean is you know fck all. Possibly none of us ever will but she admitted stealing, she was sacked on those very solid grounds. Get over it.

[Rhodes]

Loosely – Well like I said Rebecca has the right of appeal and should hopefully be able to take the incompetent hospital to the cleaners, isn’t that what you want

[Hookey]

Loosely - So Rebecca Leighton took a couple of painkillers, probably asprin for a headache, it's obvious that the Hospital were looking for any excuse to get rid of her

 

She admits to taking opiate based drugs for a throat infection. She works in a hospital for Christ's sake, you telling me that she couldn't have got a doctor to have prescribed her what she needed?

[missunderstood]

Almost every job I ever had we had some sort of fiddle. The companies usually turned a blind eye but we always knew they would use any knowledge of dishonesty to sack us if they really wanted to, and we always understood that.

 

I always found it useful to keep a record of all the incompetence and dishonesty of the people that had the power to dismiss, and that usually neutralised the situation in all but the most serious of cases.

 

IMO Rebecca would never have been taken to task had it not been for the contaminated saline drip accusations made against her, but as she admitted stealing she has no grounds for appeal, and its a crying shame if a dedicated nurse has lost her career because of doing something that may have been common practise.

Edited January 4, 2012 by missunderstood

[Loose]

Almost every job I ever had we had some sort of fiddle. The companies usually turned a blind eye but we always knew they would use any knowledge of dishonesty to sack us if they really wanted to, and we always understood that.

 

I always found it useful to keep a record of all the incompetence and dishonesty of the people that had the power to dismiss, and that usually neutralised the situation in all but the most serious of cases.

 

IMO Rebecca would never have been taken to task had it not been for the contaminated saline drip accusations made against her, but as she admitted stealing she has no grounds for appeal, and its a crying shame if a dedicated nurse has lost her career because of doing something that may have been common practise.

 

Again with the may have beens, the probably/possibly/well if I paint it this way it suits my arguments.

 

She'll never be trusted to work in a hospital again. The acid test would be if you were in hospital would you want to be her patient?

[missunderstood]

Almost every job I ever had we had some sort of fiddle. The companies usually turned a blind eye but we always knew they would use any knowledge of dishonesty to sack us if they really wanted to, and we always understood that.

 

I always found it useful to keep a record of all the incompetence and dishonesty of the people that had the power to dismiss, and that usually neutralised the situation in all but the most serious of cases.

 

IMO Rebecca would never have been taken to task had it not been for the contaminated saline drip accusations made against her, but as she admitted stealing she has no grounds for appeal, and its a crying shame if a dedicated nurse has lost her career because of doing something that may have been common practise.

 

Again with the may have beens, the probably/possibly/well if I paint it this way it suits my arguments.

 

She'll never be trusted to work in a hospital again. The acid test would be if you were in hospital would you want to be her patient?

The honest answer is I don't know.

[Rhodes]

IMO Rebecca would never have been taken to task had it not been for the contaminated saline drip accusations made against her, but as she admitted stealing she has no grounds for appeal, and its a crying shame if a dedicated nurse has lost her career because of doing something that may have been common practise.

Missunderstood – I couldn’t agree more, it’s just a shame Loosely doesn’t share that common sense view. What I don't understand is why she admitted stealing a couple of opiate based drugs for a throat infection, it played right into the hospital's hands and shows that honesty doesn't always pay.

 

[Loose]

IMO Rebecca would never have been taken to task had it not been for the contaminated saline drip accusations made against her, but as she admitted stealing she has no grounds for appeal, and its a crying shame if a dedicated nurse has lost her career because of doing something that may have been common practise.

Missunderstood – I couldn’t agree more, it’s just a shame Loosely doesn’t share that common sense view. What I don't understand is why she admitted stealing a couple of opiate based drugs for a throat infection, it played right into the hospital's hands and shows that honesty doesn't always pay.

 

Rhodesy - you didn't even know she had admitted stealing painkillers and you definitely don't know how many she stole. The only thing we can say for certain is that drugs are very carefully monitored within hospitals for obvious reasons and that any going missing is the gravest cause for concern.

 

This is just you on one of your bonkers crusades against a perceived injustice with no knowledge of any evidence.

 

Nothing new there eh?

[Rhodes]

Loosely – Why are you suddenly taking such a keen interest in Rebecca Leighton’s sad case, I see you are being opposite again so I’ve answered my own question haven’t I. Rebecca only took a couple of opiate based drugs for a throat infection, hardly crime of the Century yet she has been relieved of her duties which goes to show the Hospital was looking for any lame excuse to sack her.

 

 

[Loose]

Loosely – Why are you suddenly taking such a keen interest in Rebecca Leighton’s sad case, I see you are being opposite again so I’ve answered my own question haven’t I. Rebecca only took a couple of opiate based drugs for a throat infection, hardly crime of the Century yet she has been relieved of her duties which goes to show the Hospital was looking for any lame excuse to sack her.

 

Rhodesy - I've yet to see what you are disagreeing with. She admitted stealing drugs - you don't know how many and have yet to prove you know how many - it's a sackable offence and any qualified nurse tailing drugs illegally would be sacked and never work as a nurse again. As far as anyone can see it is you disagreeing with plain fact, making up your own and claiming falsehoods such as "lame excuse" which is nothing new.

 

Still waiting for you to have anything new to say.

[missunderstood]

Loosely – Why are you suddenly taking such a keen interest in Rebecca Leighton’s sad case, I see you are being opposite again so I’ve answered my own question haven’t I. Rebecca only took a couple of opiate based drugs for a throat infection, hardly crime of the Century yet she has been relieved of her duties which goes to show the Hospital was looking for any lame excuse to sack her.

 

Rhodesy - I've yet to see what you are disagreeing with. She admitted stealing drugs - you don't know how many and have yet to prove you know how many - it's a sackable offence and any qualified nurse tailing drugs illegally would be sacked and never work as a nurse again. As far as anyone can see it is you disagreeing with plain fact, making up your own and claiming falsehoods such as "lame excuse" which is nothing new.

 

Still waiting for you to have anything new to say.

 

There may well be more to this case than we currently know about. Rebecca, with the help of her union is appealing against the dismissal, and in my experience trade unions rarely back appeals unless they feel a grave injustice has taken place. Although she has been sacked, pending the appeal I don't think she has been barred from practising as a nurse at any other hospital as the ban was lifted when the authorities decided there was no case to answer, even though they was aware of the drug stealing allegations that freely admitted to.

 

IMO almost everyone deserves a second chance. I remember interviewing a young lady for a teaching job some years ago, at our local school who had a conviction for shoplifting. Against the better judgement of some of the interviewing panel she got the job, and turned out to be one of the schools best ever teachers. I honestly believe its wrong to write any young person off because of one mistake.

[Loose]

Well I appreciate what you are saying misunderstood but you'll knock me down with a feather if she wins her appeal. All NHS staff have a contract of employment and in each contract it outlines that stealing is gross misconduct and that any offence of such will be a sackable one. Since she admitted the stealing I can't see a tribunal over-turning the sacking, can you?

 

Incidentally she didn't admit murder and there was nothing but circumstantial evidence to back the charge so a guess would be since she admitted this lesser offence is there either was evidence of stealing or she took a fall to the lesser charge in an attempt to explain away the greater. Another guess is that we will never know.

 

I agree that people deserve a second chance but since neither of us are too sure whether we would like or even agree on being her patient what choice would a hospital have?

[missunderstood]

Well I appreciate what you are saying misunderstood but you'll knock me down with a feather if she wins her appeal. All NHS staff have a contract of employment and in each contract it outlines that stealing is gross misconduct and that any offence of such will be a sackable one. Since she admitted the stealing I can't see a tribunal over-turning the sacking, can you?

 

Incidentally she didn't admit murder and there was nothing but circumstantial evidence to back the charge so a guess would be since she admitted this lesser offence is there either was evidence of stealing or she took a fall to the lesser charge in an attempt to explain away the greater. Another guess is that we will never know.

 

I agree that people deserve a second chance but since neither of us are too sure whether we would like or even agree on being her patient what choice would a hospital have?

 

Its difficult to imagine any contract of employment not including the "stealing clause" but the appeal panel will need to consider very carefully if in this particular case Rebecca taking tablets for her own personal use was accepted practice at her place of work.

 

Over the years I represented a number of colleagues who had been accused of fiddling expenses, overbooking overtime etc, all considered to be forms of stealing, and the accepted practise argument won every time, possibly because I have yet to meet a totally100% honest man, and the accusers were primed to think "there but for the grace of god go I".