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 Sarah-Jane Swift, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 79J0230E).
Decision date: 17 April 2026 · Hearing started 16 April 2026 and ended 17 April 2026
In plain English
The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee decided that mental health nurse Sarah-Jane Swift should be struck off the register. The panel found that on 13 April 2022 she touched a vulnerable colleague's bare chest without his consent during a workplace incident, and that this was sexual in nature and harassed him. The committee found her fitness to practise impaired and imposed a striking-off order on 17 April 2026. An interim suspension order of 18 months was also imposed to cover the appeal period.
Charges
On 13 April 2022, the registrant: (1a) knew that Colleague A was vulnerable by virtue of his disability and/or health; (1b) placed her hands under Colleague A's top without his consent; (1c) rubbed her hands on Colleague A's bare chest without his consent. Charges 2a, 2c, 2d(i) and 2d(ii) found proved that the conduct harassed Colleague A in that it was unwanted, sexual in nature, and had the effect of violating his dignity and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment. Charge 2b (related to a protected characteristic) was found not proved.
Findings
The Fitness to Practise Committee found facts proved on charges 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2c, 2d(i) and 2d(ii). The panel found that the actions amounted to misconduct and breached the Code (sections 1.1, 20.1, 20.2, 20.3, 20.5, 20.8). The panel found fitness to practise currently impaired on grounds of public protection and the public interest. Colleague A was caused psychological and emotional harm. The panel noted limited insight, no engagement with the NMC process, no evidence of remediation and a stated intention not to engage further with the NMC or nursing.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
An apology was made to Colleague A.
Aggravating factors
Abuse of a position of power; conduct which placed a vulnerable colleague at risk of harm; conduct that caused significant psychological and emotional harm to Colleague A; failure to engage in the Fitness to Practise process, without good reason; absence of insight.
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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