An off-duty hospital worker has pleaded guilty to poisoning a baby at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted to administering a poison or other noxious substance to the four-month-old with intent.

The Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust employee, who previously lived in Basingstoke, appeared at Southampton Crown Court on December 22 for sentencing.

The 35-year-old admitted that over a three-month period she unlawfully and maliciously administered Lactulose, with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy.

The infant was first submitted to Basingstoke Hospital with diarrhoea symptoms last year and then was then readmitted with worsening symptoms having dropped in weight.

The child was described by medics as being “considerably unwell” with high levels of acid in its blood. 

The infant was then transferred to Southampton where they underwent a number of intrusive procedures in an effort to resolve the symptoms.

These included undergoing five general anaesthetics to allow for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy, intravenous drips, feeding tubes and then Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) administered into a major vein.

A side effect of TPN is that it causes some liver damage with raised enzyme levels.

The hospital arranged to undertake some stool tests in September, which revealed that Lactulose - medication used to treat constipation - was present in the stools at a concentration 100 times higher than would be expected naturally.

Lactulose is a powerful laxative available from pharmacies and WhatsApp messages verified the woman had purchased the laxative on several occasions.

Internet records showed she had also Googled to see if the drug would show up in stool tests. 

The hospital then notified the police who arrested the hospital employee last autumn, she denied involvement but later confessed in a written letter.

Mr Afzal, the specialist who treated the child, reports that the baby is unlikely to have long term physical health problems but that ‘should not diminish’ the recognition of the ‘significant harm’ they suffered for many months.

The Crown Prosecution Service noted that the woman's medical records indicated hypochondria - a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. It was also noted she displayed attention seeking tendencies.

The Crown accepted the woman did not intend to cause permanent injury to the child, but that she did intend to cause sufficient effects, by prolonging diarrhoea, that would cause the infant to remain hospitalised and therefore intended to cause them injury or annoyance.

Judge Peter Henry sentenced her to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years.

She must also complete a total of 150 hours of unpaid work.

A spokesman for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the woman was off-duty at the time of the incident.

They said: "We were notified of the arrest of a non-patient facing member of staff. 

"All internal processes are being followed and as the case does not relate to the individual's actions or responsibilities at the trust, we will not be commenting further.”