Catherine Hudson, 54, and Charlotte Wilmot, 48, ill-treated those in their care on a stroke unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in Lancashire between February 2017 and November 2018, Preston Crown Court heard.

Prosecutors said police examined WhatsApp phone messages between the co-defendants and other members of staff which revealed a "culture of abuse".

'I'm going to kill bed 5 xxx'

Hudson was found guilty of drugging two patients and was convicted of conspiring with her junior colleague, Wilmot, to administer a sedative to a third patient.

Hudson was cleared of ill-treating two other patients.

'Give her the best sleep she ever had'

Giving evidence, both defendants denied all allegations and claimed the private messages were "banter".

'I sedated one to within an inch of her life'

They said the messages were not supposed to be taken seriously, claiming the "gallows humour" was the venting of their frustrations at working in a chronically understaffed unit.

'Sedated all the troublemakers'

Nurse and healthcare workers stole drugs

Hudson was also convicted of stealing Mebeverine, a medication intended for an end-of-life patient.

She pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiring with other colleagues to steal other drugs including Zopilcone and also a further offence of perverting the course of justice.

Wilmot had also pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal medication from the hospital.

The women will be sentenced on 13 and 14 December. Hudson was remanded into custody, while Wilmot is set to be granted bail.