Sex Pest Male Nurse Is Struck Off

A male nurse at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald has been struck off the medical register for inappropriate behaviour. Jonathan Gourley, 32, a nurse in an orthopaedic ward, made suggestive comments to female members of staff and touched them inappropriately.

A professional conduct panel was told he had “exploited” his position to humiliate and degrade colleagues. Mr Gourley, who did not appear at the hearing, has 28 days to appeal. A panel from the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard Mr Gourley faced a string of allegations made by nurses, students and a nursing auxiliary.

A prosecution lawyer said that Mr Gourley used the guise of teaching female anatomy to touch female students inappropriately. She said he had been promoted to a senior position within the ward but had used his position in a “calculated and deliberate” way.

BBC Northern Ireland’s health correspondent Dot Kirby said: “A lot of the incidents took place behind curtains or in rooms where he took people. He would use the guise of teaching anatomy to touch people inappropriately. All witnesses described him as a touchy feely kind of person, as the kind of person who had a reputation of being overfriendly.”

The trust carried out its own investigation after the allegations were made, and Mr Gourley was sacked. He has subsequently worked as a taxi driver.