Midwife, nurse supplied each other with hospital drugs, WA Coroner finds Royal Perth Hospital, where nurse Craig Doherty was discovered after injecting a fatal dose of the sedative propofol. A CORONIAL inquest has found a midwife and nurse at two of Perth's main hospitals died of accidental overdoses within six months of each other after obtaining drugs from their workplaces. Hayley Fisher, 27, died in December 2009 after injecting the powerful painkiller fentanyl while at work at King Edward Memorial Hospital. She was found dead in a hospital toilet. In June 2010, 39-year-old Craig Doherty, a nurse at Royal Perth Hospital, was discovered at his unit after injecting a fatal dose of the sedative propofol. Coroner Barry King recommended that hospitals restrict unauthorised use of propofol and suggested a review of how access to pain medication is controlled. He said propofol and other drugs were readily available to Mr Doherty in his role as a clinical theatre nurse. It was kept at the hospital with other drugs in unlocked cupboards in the central preparation area and in a trolley in each theatre. "It appears that hospitals do not monitor the amounts of propofol used," Mr King said. He added that although Mr Doherty had a history of medical issues such as epilepsy and depression and had attempted suicide before, that explanation did not seem likely. "If the deceased had intended to take his life, he might be expected to have used a much greater amount of propofol," Mr King said. Ms Fisher also had a history of depression and anxiety but Mr King did not believe she intended to take her own life either. Fentanyl is a controlled drug and King Edward has guidelines in place for its storage in a double-locked cupboard. Dispensing and administering it to a patient must be done by two staff members together, both of whom must sign a drug register. Mr King concluded it was most likely Ms Fisher removed fentanyl solution from a patient's room. "It is clear that there is a gap of security that exists at the point of administration that needs to be addressed," he said.