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 Kelly-Marie Porter, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 05H2523E).

Decision date: 17 April 2026 · Hearing started 17 April 2026

In plain English

The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee decided that children's nurse Kelly-Marie Porter should be struck off the register. The panel found that on 9 April 2025 she was convicted at Plymouth Magistrates' Court of making indecent images of a child and possessing an extreme pornographic image. She was sentenced to 32 weeks suspended imprisonment and placed on the Sex Offenders Register. The committee found her fitness to practise impaired by reason of her conviction and imposed a striking-off order on 17 April 2026, with an 18-month interim suspension order to cover the appeal period.

Charges

On 9 April 2025, the registrant was convicted at Plymouth Magistrates' Court of: (a) possessing an extreme pornographic image portraying an act likely to result in serious injury to a person's private parts contrary to sections 63(1), (7)(b) and 67(2) of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act; (b) making 13 category A indecent photographs of a child contrary to sections 1(1)(a) and 6 of the Protection of Children Act 1978; (c) making 1 category B indecent photograph of a child contrary to the same Act; (d) making 43 category C indecent photographs of a child contrary to the same Act. She was sentenced on 4 June 2025 to 32 weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months, placed on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years, and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Findings

The Fitness to Practise Committee found Charge 1 proved in its entirety on the basis of the certificate of conviction under Rule 31. The panel found fitness to practise currently impaired by reason of conviction, on grounds of public protection and the public interest. Limbs (a), (b) and (c) of the Grant test were engaged. The panel noted limited insight, that the registrant's reflection emphasised her partner's behaviour rather than her own accountability, and that the conduct was attitudinal rather than clinical. The panel determined the case fell within the definition of a 'highest risk case'.

Mitigating factors

Early admission of the facts; has shown remorse into convictions and engaging with probation services, taking relevant steps to remediation.

Aggravating factors

Very serious nature of the multiple offences warranting custodial sentences; the predatory nature of the behaviour involved in the offences; limited insight; the registrant's role as a children's nurse and her professional duty to protect and promote children, where the offences involved images of children, who are most vulnerable in society; the registrant's actions despite her long experience and training in safeguarding and awareness of personal and professional boundaries.

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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