A London hospital says it has improved security after a woman posing as a doctor gave a mystery substance to a patient who was in police custody.
Kreuena Zdrafkova, 20, walked into Ealing Hospital on April 19, donning a white coat, stethoscope, medical gloves and a yellow badge.
She gained access to a patient who was being guarded by two police officers, took pictures of his neck and hand, she was carrying tubes she said were for blood samples, and administered a liquid injection into his mouth which she said was medication to calm him down.
CCTV showed she had also accessed an ambulance and talked to a paramedic, and a member of hospital staff had seen her in the blood room examining butterfly needles.
Zdrafkova, who has no medical training, was arrested three days later when she returned to the hospital and was in possession of medical papers.
Isleworth crown court heard she was living out her “dream of becoming a doctor”, and she insisted she had no malicious intent towards patients.
In the wake of the incident, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust – which runs Ealing Hospital, said it took "immediate action" to avoid a repeat of the security breach.
"We fully supported the police investigation into this highly unusual incident, taking immediate action to support the apprehension of the individual and enhance our security measures”, a spokesperson said.
Zdrafkova, from Hanwell in west London, who followed court proceedings through a Turkish interpreter, pleaded guilty to common assault and was sentenced to a community order with 15 days of rehabilitation.
The mother of six-year-old twin boys is also now banned from going to NHS facilities, except to attend her own GP surgery, go to pre-planned or urgent appointments for her or her children, and to visit family in hospital.
