Professor Sir George Castledine struck off for misconduct

A professor knighted for services to healthcare has been struck off the nursing register for "sexually motivated" misconduct towards a widow.

Sir George Castledine, 66, who worked in Birmingham at the time, admitted giving the woman, aged 83, flowers and accompanying her on a trip to Wales.

He denied his conduct was sexually or financially-motivated.

But, he was found guilty by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Christmas presents

A fitness-to-practise panel sitting in London ruled some of the professor's contact with the woman, known as Patient A, had been financially motivated.

Sir George, 66, admitted telling her he had to go to the gym to keep fit or he "wouldn't be able to make love".

He further conceded during the hearing that he had failed to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with the patient by visiting her home at night, giving her Christmas presents, and accepting aftershave in return.

Among disputed charges found proven by the NMC was an allegation Sir George, who had been tasked with providing bereavement counselling, sought to procure statements from the woman that he knew were not true.

Sir George, who was given a knighthood in 2007, denied his conduct towards the woman in 2009, when he was working as a centre manager for the Institute of Ageing and Health in Birmingham, had been either sexually or financially motivated.

In its judgement ordering that Sir George should be struck off, the NMC panel said he had breached fundamental tenets of the nursing profession and had been dishonest and evasive.