Paul Johnson: 'Bullying' Hull midwife faces misconduct charges

Paul Johnson has worked as a midwife for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust since 2002

A senior midwife who delivered hundreds of babies in Hull has been accused of "aggressive and bullying" behaviour by colleagues.

Paul Johnson, who works at Hull Royal Infirmary's Women and Children's Hospital, was suspended in late 2020.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council misconduct hearing heard he took photos of two women having Caesarean sections at the hospital without permission.

He faces 29 charges in total, with the hearing due to run until 11 February.

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Mr Johnson, who has been employed by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust since 2002 and was not present during the first day of the hearing, "managed and co-ordinated the labour ward" when he was suspended, the hearing heard.

Opening the case, Raj Joshi told the hearing the allegations arose as a result of an interaction with a colleague in August 2019, where it is alleged he told her she had a "gorgeous figure" and would bring "some glamour and youth to the team".

The resulting investigation found other matters of concern, Mr Joshi said, including Mr Johnson allegedly filming a video of himself performing a sex act in a hospital toilet and sending it to a colleague he was in a relationship with.

"It was said that he was in a gymnasium in Florida, work rotas show not only was he on duty but the background related closely to the hospital site," Mr Joshi told the hearing.

Paul Johnson was working as a senior midwife at Hull Royal Infirmary's Women and Children's Hospital when he was suspended in September 2020

He sent the C-section photos to the colleague he was in a relationship with, the hearing heard, and allegedly asked another co-worker what her "favourite sexual position" was.

Detailing the charges against Mr Johnson, Derek McFaul, hearing chair, said the senior midwife is accused of 29 charges in total, including poor management and decision-making skills "by making excuses not to transfer patients to the labour ward".

Mr Joshi told the hearing Mr Johnson was jokingly referred to as the "Scarlet Pimpernel" due to occasions where he had disappeared while on shift without telling colleagues where he had gone.

During one absence he told a colleague he was moving his car, but messaged the co-worker he was in a relationship with to say he had gone to an adult store, the hearing heard.

"He was in a senior managerial position, junior staff in particular found that it would be very difficult for them to challenge his behaviour and the comments he was making," Mr Joshi said.

"[Mr Johnson] had a habit of confronting peers in an aggressive or bullying manner".

The hearing will hear from its first witness on Tuesday morning.