Bedford Hospital nurse struck off for 'squeezing' patient's breasts

Gbadebo Olasunkanmi Alabi started working at Bedford Hospital in 2004

A nurse who "squeezed" a patient's breasts has been struck off for "completely unacceptable" behaviour.

Gbadebo Olasunkanmi Alabi, who worked in A&E at Bedford Hospital, was found to have made "sexually-motivated" advances in October 2012.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise committee ruled his actions brought the profession into disrepute.

He admitted to several other charges relating to two other shifts.

They included failing to administer prescribed medicine and not conducting and/or recording neurological observations.

The panel heard that on a night shift between 25 and 26 October on Folwell Ward, Mr Alabi - who said he was a happily married family man and active in the church - performed an electrocardiograph (ECG) on a female patient, known as Patient A, without a chaperone present.

It was proved he said to her "Your breasts are not too big and not too small" and "Everything on your body is perfect".

He also asked the patient her bra size and patted and/or squeezed her breasts.

'Serious charges'

During the hearing Mr Alabi accepted the comments would have made Patient A feel uncomfortable and distressed, and that she said the comments caused her "shock and fear" and "harm".

James Edenborough, representing the NMC said the charges were "serious" and "clearly amounted to misconduct".

Claire Robinson, for Mr Alabi, said he had completed further reading and research on professional boundaries, his insight had improved and there had been no further similar complaints since.

Striking him off, the panel told Mr Alabi that his behaviour towards Patient A had been "deplorable" and "completely unacceptable".

They acknowledged he had increased his "knowledge and understanding of personal boundaries" and "developed some insight" into his behaviour.

Mr Alabi was issued an interim suspension order for 18 months and given 28 days to appeal the decision.