Emma Sim, 39, a mental health nurse at St John's Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, has been suspended and faces a misconduct tribunal after admitting to cocaine abuse and dealing while on duty. The nurse pleaded guilty to using the class A substance and dealing it on the ward between 2023 and 2024.
Sim admitted to snorting cocaine in February 2024 and had been dealing the drug for approximately a year. She expressed embarrassment and disgust regarding her behavior in court. Livingston Sheriff Court heard that her actions were "culpable and reckless."
Sheriff Valerie Mays acknowledged the severity of the offenses, stating they met the "threshold" for a prison sentence. However, instead of incarceration, Sim was sentenced to 120 days of electronic monitoring with a curfew, an 18-month supervision order, and 210 hours of unpaid community service. The sheriff emphasized the need for Sim to address her addiction and ensure it does not resurface, mandating that she engage with substance abuse services.
Sim was initially suspended in March of the previous year. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is now conducting a "fitness to practise" investigation, which could result in her being permanently barred from the nursing profession. The NMC has not yet reached a final judgment.