A Fife nurse who asked a female colleague if she wanted his “sausage” has been struck off.
David Mcdiarmid Robertson was working as a senior charge nurse at Woodside Court Care Home in Glenrothes when the offences, said to be “serious sexual misconduct”, took place.
The events happened over November 27 and 28 2010 when the nurse behaved inappropriately to a junior colleague by:
* Lifting up her uniform and touching her side, hip and thigh without her permission.
* Repeatedly touching her without her permission throughout the shifts they worked together.
* Asking her “do you want my sausage” which was heard by another staff member and resident.
* Slapping and kicking her across the hip and bottom in full view of those living in the care home.
She was left “uneasy” and “uncomfortable” and spoke to another staff member and other staff members saw her become more anxious.
After he had kicked her bottom, making a comment about it being wobbly, she fled the room in tears.
The matter was investigated at the home and Mr Robertson accepted most of the allegations but suggested much of it was banter and was to “lighten the mood” and create a good atmosphere.
He admitted that the facts amounted to serious misconduct, that his fitness to practice was impaired and that his behaviour towards his colleague amounted to sexual misconduct.
“Mr Robertson abused his position as the senior charge nurse so as to humiliate colleague A in front of other colleagues and sometimes in front of services users.
“Mr Robertson acted without any regard for the distress that he was causing colleague A on a number of different occasions which culminated in him kicking colleague A’s bottom.”
He had expressed remorse for causing her distress.
The nurse did not attend the Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing but all parties had reached a consensual panel determination beforehand.
The panel considered his actions to be serious sexual misconduct and that he breached one of the fundamental tenets of his profession and was satisfied his fitness to practice was impaired.
Mr Robertson had said he had no desire to be a part of the nursing profession and had not been practising as a nurse since the allegations came to light.
The panel felt: “While he has expressed remorse, Mr Robertson has not displayed sufficient insight to overcome the deep seated attitudinal problems that lay beneath his overall conduct in relation to these allegations.”
At the time Woodside Court was run by the now defunct Southern Cross Healthcare.
It is now operated by HC-One.
A spokesman said: “We can confirm that new management took over the home on November 1 2011, 12 months after the dismissal of this individual.
“The health, safety and wellbeing of those we support are our top priorities.”