Nursing and Midwifery Council determination — substantive hearing

Struck off the register

The regulator’s term: erasure

What does “struck off the register” mean?

Being struck off (the regulator calls this "erasure") removes the practitioner from the register. They are no longer permitted to practise this profession in the UK. Erasure can be reviewed after a minimum of five years, but is otherwise indefinite.

Concerning Patrick Mhlanga, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 08G0989E).

Decision date: 5 March 2026 · Hearing started 6 October 2025 and ended 5 March 2026

In plain English

The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee found that Mr Mhlanga, a mental health nurse, breached professional boundaries with three colleagues, including two student nurses he supervised, and that most of his conduct was sexually motivated. The panel found his fitness to practise impaired by reason of misconduct and directed that he be struck off the register. An 18-month interim suspension order was imposed to cover the appeal period.

Charges

Charges concerned conduct toward three colleagues at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust between 2023 and 2024: hugging Colleague A and touching her stomach under her cardigan; in relation to student nurse Colleague B, hugging her, sending non-work-related emails and WhatsApp messages, asking her to try on a dress and to send a photo, walking her to her car, inviting her to a spa, and placing his hands on her lower back; in relation to Colleague C, saying "you look sexy" or words to that effect, hugging her, gyrating his hips against her, and digging his fingers into her clothing during a hug. The panel found these actions to be in breach of professional boundaries and, in respect of most charges, sexually motivated.

Findings

The panel found Charges 1a, 1b, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 4, 5, 6a (in relation to 1a, 1b, 3a, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 4 and 5) and 6b (in relation to 1a, 1b, 3d, 3f, 4 and 5) proved. Charge 2 and parts of Charge 6 were not proved. The panel determined the charges proved in respect of sexually motivated conduct (Charge 6b) amounted to misconduct. It found Mr Mhlanga's fitness to practise currently impaired on public protection and public interest grounds, with limbs b and c of the Grant test engaged.

Mitigating factors

Mr Mhlanga has engaged with most of the regulatory process from the outset; early admissions of some of the facts; no history of previous regulatory concerns or proceedings; Mr Mhlanga's health concerns albeit to a very limited extent as the panel did not have independent evidence to support this.

Aggravating factors

Limited insight; no evidence of remorse; attitudinal issues; abuse of a position of trust; predatory behaviour; deliberate breaches of the Code; a pattern of misconduct over a period of time; indirect risk of harm to patients; lack of evidence of strengthened practice.

Source

All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Nursing and Midwifery Council determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.

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