Hull midwife Paul Johnson 'made 'sexual comments', hearing told

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

A senior midwife repeatedly made "sexual" comments about patients and colleagues on a hospital labour ward, a tribunal has heard.

Paul Johnson was suspended from his job at Hull Royal Infirmary's Women and Children's Hospital in 2020.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council misconduct hearing was told there was a "toxic culture" on the ward, with the alleged comments going unchallenged.

Mr Johnson, who was not present at the remote hearing, faces 29 charges.

Opening the case on Monday, Raj Joshi said the allegations arose after a new member of staff claimed Mr Johnson told her she had a "gorgeous figure" and would bring "some glamour and youth to the team".

Giving evidence on Tuesday, the witness said the comments had made her feel uncomfortable.

"It was said in front of other staff - and being my first day I didn't know anyone," she said.

Mr Johnson, who had worked for the hospital trust since 2002, had later made a sexually explicit remark about a patient, she told the panel.

"No-one said anything - it was quite a shock," she added.

Mr Johnson had worked for the hospital trust since 2002

Another colleague told the panel when a patient required a wound pack to be removed, Mr Johnson had used vulgar language and likened it to "a magic trick".

She described the culture on the ward as "toxic" and found it "very challenging".

When asked if it was a case she did not take to Mr Johnson's style of management, she replied: "When you work in a team you are working alongside so many different types of people.

"As a co-ordinator, he could have just been a bit more sensitive."

"Talking to female colleagues in a very sexualised way - I can't see anyway that is appropriate," she added.

She said she also felt "intimidated" by Mr Johnson, who on one occasion had quizzed her why she had not turned away a woman in labour when the wards were busy, only for the patient to give birth 30 minutes later.

A third witness said Mr Johnson would regularly make inappropriate comments.

She told the panel: "The culture on the labour ward didn't feel like a place where you could speak up."

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When asked if Mr Johnson was different to other senior leaders, she replied: "Some I feel intimidated by in a different way, but no-one else makes sexualised comments."

The hearing continues.