Horrified son learns what 'pure evil' nurses were doing to his mum in hospital

17 December 2023 , 11:09

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Aileen Scott was admitted to a stroke unit in October 2018 where she suffered at the hands of two 'pure evil' nurses (Image: PA)

A man has discovered the grim actions "pure evil" nurses carried out against his mum when she was in their care on a stroke unit.

Aileen Scott was admitted to the stroke unit after collapsing on holiday in October 2018, and was admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital's stroke ward soon after. It was there the at-the-time 71-year-old was placed in the care of nurses who allegedly made sickening comments on how they would sedate unruly patients to make their shifts easier. Aileen's son, Brian, has since described how his "world collapsed" when he was contacted by members of Lancashire Constabulary who were investigating allegations of abuse on the stroke unit.

Brian Scott says he is 'haunted' by the treatment his mother received in hospital (PA)

Brian's mum had travelled from Glasgow to Blackpool to enjoy the illuminations but suffered a severe haemorrhagic stroke. She was shortly transferred to Glasgow Infirmary, and it was around this time Brian was contacted by Lancashire Constabulary. A whistle-blower had come forward and raised concerns of being asked to administer zopiclone without a prescription. The powerful sedative can cause death in vulnerable patients, as well as anxiety and hallucinations, particularly in stroke victims, LancashireLive reported. Grim text messages uncovered in the investigation pointed toward a "culture of abuse" where patients were mocked by members of the staff, including "lead offender" Catherine Hudson.

Hudson is believed to have sedated two patients for an easy shift and was egged on by colleague Charlotte Wilmot. Brian had previously raised concerns with the ward regarding his mother who, now bedbound and paralysed, was struggling to wake. She also began passing strange comments on how "your living room has been turned into a ward of Blackpool Hospital." Brian was told this was "common after a stroke" by a nurse on duty. Aileen was soon moved to Glasgow Infirmary, where the difference was "night and day".

Aileen had been given zopiclone despite the risks it can bring stroke patients (PA)

Brian said: "She was still paralysed but she seemed like a different person... bright and chatty. The visits were short so as to not tire her out but she was always chatty and pleased to see you - the difference was incredible." Tests confirmed Aileen had been given zopiclone despite the drug not being prescribed to her. Hudson had told a student nurse to prescribe the drug, telling her: "She's got a DNAR (do not attempt resuscitation) in place so she wouldn't be opened up if it.. if she died or like if it, if it came to any harm from zopiclone..."

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Brian added: "Nothing prepares you to hear something like that. If my mum had died on that ward I would have thought it was sad but it was due to complications from the stroke, not from medication that she was given that she wasn't prescribed." Janet Westhead, another stroke unit admittance from February 2017, is believed to have been abused by staff. Susan Cheetham, Janet's daughter, believes her mum's admittance and challenging behaviour gave the nursing duo a motive for cruelty. A text exchange between Hudson and Wilmot read: "Oh Jesus f***ing Christ, she’s definitely going night nights then."

Catherine Hudson was sentenced to seven years behind bars (Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS)

Charlotte Wilmot was sentenced to three years in prison (Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS)

Janet said: "I confronted them many times and let them know exactly what I thought and never hesitated to challenge them when they were doing things which were just not in Mum's best interests. I challenged them so many times because I did not believe they knew what they doing. Their approach always seemed to be random and experimental rather than clinically led. I can imagine that my direct and blunt approach did not go down well and that I must have become very unpopular among the staff. I often wonder whether my confrontational approach adversely affected the way some of them treated Mum."

Following trial at Preston Crown Court, Hudson was found guilty of illegally drugging Aileen Scott and a second patient and conspiring with Wilmot to administer a sedative to a third. She was jailed for seven years and two months. Wilmot, an assistant practitioner, was found guilty of encouraging Hudson to carry out the acts and conspiracy to ill-treat patients. She was jailed for three years. Speaking after the rulings, Brian says he is "haunted" by the treatment his mother received from the nursing pair.

He said: "They (Hudson and Wilmot) are nasty, evil, self centred and care about nobody but themselves. Words don't describe it - they are awful, awful people. It is pure evil. That was not just something they did. There was a lot of planning going on. You could hear it in the messages. They were planning what they were going to do that night to these patients."

Rachel Smith