AN NHS consultant who forged prescriptions in the names of family and colleagues to steal drugs has been sentenced today (Monday, February 8) at Liverpool Crown Court, following a fraud investigation.

Martin John Royle, 44, had earlier pleaded guilty to eleven offences - two of fraud and nine of forgery and counterfeiting. He was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and must pay £6,405 to cover prosecution and investigation costs

In September 2013, Royle was a consultant cardiologist at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He wrote and submitted a prescription for Tramadol - a narcotic-like pain reliever - which was really for his own use, but naming a colleague as the recipient without their knowledge.

The incident was reported, and resulted in an investigation which revealed that Royle had forged at least 11 other prescriptions, using the names of colleagues and family members as the patient, which had been certified unwittingly by fellow medical staff.

Royle later wrote a letter of apology to the trust admitting what he had done and citing his addiction to pain-killing drugs as one of the reasons for his behaviour.

Pauline Smith, anti-fraud specialist at NHS Protect, said: "The NHS and its patients expect the highest standards of integrity and professionalism from its staff, and this behaviour fell well below those standards.

"Martin Royle abused his senior and respected position as a cardiologist to steal from his employer, and the seriousness of this offence is reflected in the sentence today."