Paul Johnson: 'Bullying' Hull male midwife apologises for behaviour

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

A senior midwife who was found to have bullied colleagues and taken photos of two women without their consent during Caesarean sections has apologised.

Paul Johnson, 56, who worked at Hull Royal Infirmary's Women and Children's Hospital, was suspended in late 2020.

On Wednesday, 29 charges against him were proven at a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) misconduct hearing.

Appearing at the hearing on Thursday, Mr Johnson said: "I'm genuinely remorseful for the things I did."

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Multiple charges of behaving in an "intimidating, bullying or unsupportive manner" towards colleagues were among those the hearing had found to be proven.

A fitness to practise committee is continuing to consider if he committed misconduct.

Mr Johnson had not participated in or been represented during the majority of the three-week hearing, however he gave evidence on Thursday afternoon.

The midwife, who held a senior managerial position, said he was on a "downward spiral" at the time due to private problems arising from a relationship with a colleague and he was working long hours, mostly at night.

'Career destroyed'

He told the hearing: "I'm able to look now and see the impact some of my behaviour has had on people who surrounded me and I am sorry for the experience they had and I'm sorry for the fact they had to experience it."

Mr Johnson, who has worked for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust since 2002 and who delivered hundreds of babies in the city, described the previous two years as "akin to a prison sentence" and accused hospital management of failing to step in.

"Instead of being managed with any form of care, understanding or compassion, I was managed by disciplinary action," he said.

He added that he had spent "17 years building a career that I destroyed in a year" and he wished to be given the opportunity to work in nursing again "at some level".

The hearing previously heard Mr Johnson was in a senior managerial position and has delivered hundreds of babies in Hull

Questioning Mr Johnson over his allegations of a lack of compassion by hospital managers, Raj Joshi, a barrister representing the NMC, asked: "So now you're the victim, are you?"

Mr Johnson replied: "I'm not saying I'm a victim. I'm saying the circumstances could have been very different here had I been managed differently."

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been approached for comment in response.

The hearing previously heard Mr Johnson took the photos of the women having C-sections at the hospital and sent them to a colleague with whom he was in a relationship.

The colleague was also sent a video of him performing a sex act in a hospital toilet while on duty.

The hearing continues.