Nursing and Midwifery Council determination — substantive hearing

Formally warned — 18 months

The regulator’s term: warning

What does “formally warned” mean?

A formal warning is a note on the practitioner's record. It does not restrict practice but tells the public that the regulator considered the conduct to have fallen below expected standards.

Concerning Felicity Rachel Smith, nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 96D0148W).

Decision date: 10 April 2026 · Hearing started 1 December 2025 and ended 10 April 2026

In plain English

The NMC found that Felicity Smith, a registered nurse and senior nurse practitioner at a GP surgery, intimidated and bullied a junior colleague between June and August 2021. On one occasion she raised her hand and threatened to hurt the colleague, and she repeatedly used a derogatory nickname. The panel decided her fitness to practise is impaired but at the lower end of seriousness, and imposed an 18-month caution order.

Charges

That, while a registered nurse at Gardden Road Surgery: (1)–(6) on multiple specified dates between May 2019 and May 2023, accessed Patients A–F's records without clinical justification (these charges relating to alleged improper records access fell away following a successful no case to answer application, with one date in Charge 1 being found not proved); (7) on one or more occasions in 2021, acted in a manner which was aggressive, intimidating and/or bullying towards a colleague, including: telling the colleague to 'get out of my face before I do something to you' on an unknown date in June 2021; raising a hand at the colleague and using words to the effect 'if you don't get out of my face, I will hurt you' on 27 August 2021; and on more than one date referring to the colleague as 'Ron' or 'moron'. By reason of the above, fitness to practise was alleged to be impaired by reason of misconduct.

Findings

Charges 2-6 fell away in their entirety on a successful no case to answer application; the remaining date under Charge 1 (10 June 2020) was found not proved as the panel accepted Miss Smith's explanation that she had a clinical justification (investigating an anomaly in the triage system). Charge 7, including all three Schedule 7 incidents involving bullying and intimidating behaviour towards Colleague A, was found proved. The panel found that the proved facts amounted to misconduct, breaching multiple provisions of the NMC Code. It determined that fitness to practise is currently impaired solely on the grounds of public confidence and professional standards (not public protection), finding that the risk of repetition was low and remote.

Mitigating factors

Developing insight; an apology to Colleague A in relation to Schedule 7(3); evidence of professional working in the same or similar role since the events in 2021 without concern; completion of relevant training courses over a period of two years; numerous positive testimonials; the misconduct took place over a period of roughly three months; the events occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic in a highly pressured, frustrating and badly managed workplace environment.

Aggravating factors

Nurse practitioner in a senior position within the GP Surgery; intimidating and bullying behaviour, including the use of an inappropriate nickname; a pattern of misconduct; failure to work collaboratively with colleagues; failure to fully accept the impact of her behaviour.

Source

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

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