A NURSE has been jailed for 18 months for stealing lifesaving equipment from the ward where she worked.

Victoria Wilson, 30, planned to sell the medical machines valued at more than £17,000 on a computer auction site.

But her crimes were uncovered when a firm which had bought some of the property contacted Southampton General Hospital after finding hospital labels still attached to them.

Wilson, who sat in the dock wiping tears from her eyes, claimed she had stolen from the cardiac unit to help care for her housebound grandmother.

Wilson, of Morley Gardens, Chandler’s Ford, admitted nine counts of theft consisting of two ventilators and seven pumps.

Police executed a search warrant at her home and found five items there.

Wilson immediately confessed to stealing seven items – but claimed she had bought two from a car boot sale.

Prosecutor Ruth Bowskill said the two most valuable items, two ventilators, had been sold to a company in Germany and had not been recovered.

In interview, Wilson claimed she had intended returning the items found at her home but then police had intervened before she could do so.

Sentencing her, Judge John Boggis QC referred to a statement from Terry Smith, manager of the medical equipment service at the hospital, about the seriousness of the theft.

He said the two syringe pumps were used to deliver high concentration of drugs in very small doses. “The hospital cannot do without them, this function cannot be done manually with the degree of accuracy required.

These must always be available as it could delay treatment or lead to a patient’s death if unavailable.”

Of the two ventilators, he wrote: “These are used for direct life support to ventilate patients during transfer.

These units are essential. If not available, staff can hand ventilate but this is not accurate and cannot be maintained.

There is a possibility of patient death were these not available.”

He added: “All nursing staff should be aware of the functions that these items perform and also the consequences were they not available. These matters are potentially life threatening to our patients.”

The judge then told Wilson she had been in an important and trusting position.

“Selling items of such importance is utterly deplorable and almost beggars belief. I must sent out the clearest message that stealing in a breach of trust is wholly unacceptable and will result in an immediate custodial sentence.

“Your career is in tatters and it is all your fault. What possessed you to do it I don't know.”

Mitigating at the city crown court, David Reid said Wilson accepted the thefts represented a high breach of trust. They had, however, happened over a short period of time and were committed to help care for her housebound grandmother.

“She does not seek justification for what she did but they were not offences motivated by greed or for money that was frittered away on luxuries. She felt backed into the corner through nobody’s fault.”

Mr Reid said Wilson had personally tried to retrieve the items sold to the German company but without success.

“She has lost her job and her nursing career is effectively over. The pre-sentence report speaks of her disgust and shame.”

Wilson was of previous good character.

Terry Morris, head of security at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, said the trust had alerted Hampshire Police as soon as the theft was discovered.

“This type of offence is rare within our hospitals but when it does happen we take it extremely seriously and have strict procedures in place,” he added.