Shrewsbury nurse struck off after sexual comments

Andrew Russell Jones was struck off following a four-day hearing at the Nursing and Midwifery Council in Cardiff.

The council ruled that Jones, who had worked as a band five community staff nurse at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, had told one colleague that her ex-husband had been "rating her 10 out of 10 in bed".

The panel also heard that Jones had contacted a vulnerable patient on their mobile phone and through Facebook, with up to 20 messages a day at points.

The offences took place between 2012 and 2014. The hearing was told that Jones had called the patient "love", "darling", and "princess", and had visited her at home and in hospital when not clinically necessary.

As part of the hearing, the panel concluded that the contact had been "sexually motivated".

The panel also concluded that Jones had sent the patient a message on Facebook stating "god bless you I am going to miss you so much RIP xxxxx", when he mistakenly believed that she had died.

Jones did not attend the hearing, where the panel handed down an interim 18-month suspension pending an appeal against the striking-off order.

He had been employed by Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust in 2011 as part of the organisation's north team. In March 2013 he was transferred to the south team on a full time basis.

A report issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Council outlined the reasons for the striking off order, stating: "The conduct, as highlighted by the facts found proved, was a significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse."

The panel which took the decision said the sanction should be seen as a warning to those who slip below the standards expected.