Vet nurse struck off after injecting himself with dog anaesthetic and being found naked at practice
Veterinary nurse Robert Drummond has been struck off the professional register after admitting that he stole and injected himself with anaesthetic intended for animals. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said the misconduct undermined the honesty and integrity expected of those entrusted with animals’ care.
Drummond had been registered since 2017 and worked as a locum at a practice in Irvine, Ayrshire, in 2023. Passers-by reported seeing him inject himself in his car with a syringe; about a month later, staff found him unresponsive on a bathroom floor, with his trousers and underwear at his ankles, and called an ambulance. He admitted taking and injecting Alfaxan, a prescription-only general anaesthetic, and stealing Lidocaine, but denied injecting the latter.
- Veterinary nurse Robert Drummond has been struck off.
- He admitted injecting himself with anaesthetic intended for pets.
- The RCVS cited the need for public trust in animal care.
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Veterinary nurses are trained to care for animals and must be registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the profession’s regulator. The RCVS sets conduct standards and can remove a nurse from its register after a disciplinary case.
Alfaxan is a prescription-only general anaesthetic used in veterinary medicine, while Lidocaine is a local anaesthetic. Medicines kept at a practice are intended for animal treatment and must be handled responsibly; unauthorised taking or use can raise concerns about safety and professional trust.