Mental Health Nurse Struck Off for Repeated Hospital Sex Acts and Serious Professional Failures
A mental health nurse has been dismissed and removed from the nursing register after a fitness to practise panel found she engaged in sexual activity at her workplace on three separate occasions, alongside multiple other serious breaches of professional conduct.
Unprofessional Conduct in a Secure Hospital Setting
Kate Sullivan, who was working as an acting band seven ward manager at Glanrhyd Hospital in Bridgend, was found to have had sex with a male colleague, referred to only as Colleague A, within the hospital premises. The incidents occurred on March 4, 2021, and January 8 and 17, 2022, while Sullivan was on night shifts in the Rowan ward, an all-male secure rehabilitation unit that frequently admits patients from the prison system.
The panel heard detailed evidence of the sexual encounters. On the first occasion, Sullivan took a female co-worker to the hospital's "hub shop" and made it clear she wanted privacy with Colleague A. The co-worker, who described feeling "very uncomfortable," subsequently heard sounds consistent with sexual intercourse from the adjacent room, including a desk banging against the wall and audible noises from both individuals for approximately two to five minutes.
Admissions and Denials in Disciplinary Proceedings
Sullivan later admitted to engaging in a casual relationship with Colleague A, a band two worker on the ward, from October 2020 to summer 2021. She failed to declare this relationship to the Swansea Bay University Health Board, constituting a clear breach of workplace policy. However, during the hearing, Sullivan denied the specific sexual acts, claiming she would "fabricate stories" to maintain her co-worker's interest in conversations.
The panel rejected this defence as "inherently unlikely," noting that Sullivan had sent text messages to the same co-worker confirming the sexual activity. On one occasion, she messaged about having sex in the "recharge room," and on another, she wrote: “Haha [Colleague A] just had sex with me.”
Pattern of Professional Misconduct and Boundary Violations
Beyond the sexual misconduct, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel identified numerous other serious failings in Sullivan's professional behaviour during her seven-year tenure with the health board. These included:
- Refusing to examine a patient who presented with a rash on their groin area.
- Breaching confidentiality by disclosing colleagues' sickness absence reasons to other staff members.
- Manipulating her scheduled duties to work more frequently with Colleague A, including turning up for an unassigned shift specifically because he was working.
- Suddenly leaving the ward with Colleague A, causing the unit to become short-staffed and potentially unsafe.
- Criticising a colleague's paperwork in front of others and using abusive language, calling another colleague "a lazy c***."
Inappropriate Patient Interactions and Safety Failures
The panel also found that Sullivan had "knowingly breached professional boundaries" with patients. She allowed a patient with documented "sexualised behaviour and difficulties in understanding boundaries" into her office with the door closed and blinds drawn for approximately twenty minutes. She further breached policy by hugging this same patient and laughing when he called her "babe."
In a particularly concerning failure, Sullivan was aware that this patient had grabbed a different female employee and ground against her but failed to make any official report about the incident, neglecting her duty to protect colleagues and maintain a safe environment.
Dismissal and Striking Off the Nursing Register
Sullivan was dismissed by the health board for gross misconduct and did not attend her NMC fitness to practise hearing. Panel chair Alisa Newman, announcing the decision to strike Sullivan from the nursing register, stated that her actions represented "significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse" and were "fundamentally incompatible with her remaining on the register."
The strike-off was deemed necessary to uphold public confidence in the nursing profession and to send a clear message about the required standards of behaviour. The case highlights the severe consequences for healthcare professionals who violate fundamental codes of conduct and patient safety protocols in sensitive clinical environments.
