Healthcare regulator insights
Why UK healthcare practitioners are struck off
This analysis groups published erasure determinations into broad reason categories such as clinical care, dishonesty, sexual misconduct, and non-engagement with the regulator. The figures describe MedicWatch's indexed corpus of published regulator determinations, not all healthcare misconduct.
451
published erasure determinations analysed
443
matched at least one specific reason category
12 March 2018
earliest decision date in this view
21 August 2026
latest decision date in this view
Cite this: https://medicwatch.co.uk/insights/why-healthcare-practitioners-are-struck-off#dataset-summary · download the underlying data (CSV).
Focused category pages
- Sexual misconduct in healthcare regulator erasure decisions
This page groups published erasure determinations where regulator-derived summaries include sexual misconduct, sexualised behaviour, or professional-boundary language.
- Dishonesty in healthcare regulator erasure decisions
This page groups published erasure determinations where regulator-derived summaries include dishonesty, fraud, forged documents, false records, or misleading conduct language.
- Clinical care failings in healthcare regulator erasure decisions
This page groups published erasure determinations where regulator-derived summaries include clinical care, treatment, competence, or performance language.
Scope by profession group
Interactive chart
Categorised reasons in published erasure decisions
Records
281 of 451
62.3%
Clinical care
210 of 451
46.6%
Workplace conduct
124 of 451
27.5%
Dishonesty
118 of 451
26.2%
Patient safety
116 of 451
25.7%
Criminal conviction
107 of 451
23.7%
Medicines and drugs
103 of 451
22.8%
Health and substance
98 of 451
21.7%
Consent and dignity
68 of 451
15.1%
Sexual misconduct
64 of 451
14.2%
Non-engagement
27 of 451
6%
Other
8 of 451
1.8%
Category table
| Category | Count | Share | What this includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Records, paperwork, and administration | 281 | 62.3% | Findings involving record keeping, notes, paperwork, documentation, or administrative compliance. |
| Clinical care and competence | 210 | 46.6% | Findings involving clinical care, treatment, diagnosis, competence, performance, or professional skill. |
| Workplace conduct and colleagues | 124 | 27.5% | Findings involving colleagues, workplace behaviour, bullying, harassment, or employer-related conduct. |
| Dishonesty and false records | 118 | 26.2% | Findings involving dishonesty, fraud, forged documents, false statements, or misleading records. |
| Patient safety and safeguarding | 116 | 25.7% | Findings involving patient safety, safeguarding, vulnerable people, child protection, or risk of harm. |
| Criminal conviction or caution | 107 | 23.7% | Findings where the published determination refers to a criminal conviction, caution, court sentence, or criminal offence. |
| Medicines, prescribing, and drugs | 103 | 22.8% | Findings involving prescribing, medicines management, controlled drugs, medication errors, or drug misuse. |
| Health, alcohol, or substance concerns | 98 | 21.7% | Findings involving health concerns, alcohol, substance misuse, or health-related impairment. |
| Communication, consent, and dignity | 68 | 15.1% | Findings involving consent, communication, dignity, confidentiality, or patient information. |
| Sexual misconduct and boundaries | 64 | 14.2% | Regulator-described findings involving sexual misconduct, sexualised behaviour, or professional-boundary violations. |
| Non-engagement with the regulator | 27 | 6% | Findings involving failure to engage, non-compliance, breach of conditions, or failure to cooperate with the regulator. |
| Other or unclear | 8 | 1.8% | Determinations where the available summary text does not clearly match one of the other broad categories. |
Example source-backed determinations
Records, paperwork, and administration
21 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Lorna Fell gave a patient double the prescribed dose of Oramorph, did not record the error or tell the patient, asked a colleague not to report it and asked a doctor to change the prescription to match. The panel also found she made incorrect controlled drug records on two later shifts. It found her conduct dishonest on three counts, found her fitness to practise impaired, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
14 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Julia Ann Nixon's fitness to practise remains impaired in two cases. Reviewing two 12-month suspension orders, the panel found she had not undertaken remediation, training or supervised practice and had not shown sufficient insight into failings in patient care and record-keeping. It replaced both suspension orders with striking-off orders, taking effect on 19 September and 27 November 2026.
13 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC's Investigating Committee found that Tawanda Lovejoy Chivima, a registered mental health nurse, did not declare four driving-related convictions from March 2020 when he revalidated online in September 2021. He admitted the charges. The panel decided his entry on the register was fraudulently procured and incorrectly made, and directed the Registrar to remove it. It made no interim order, finding no ongoing risk to the public.
Clinical care and competence
19 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Belinda Jayne Ellams made comments about Muslims to a colleague, brought weighted steel balls and sharpened scissors into a care home, and posted an offensive image on Facebook. The panel found her conduct was motivated by hostility towards Muslims and had the effect of violating her colleague’s dignity. It found her fitness to practise impaired, noted no evidence of insight, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
17 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that Steven David Wenman, a registered nurse, sent suggestive messages to one colleague, made comments of a sexual nature to two others, and ignored a third colleague in conduct the panel found amounted to bullying. The panel found his fitness to practise impaired by misconduct, noting very limited insight and minimal remediation, and imposed a striking-off order together with an 18-month interim suspension order.
14 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Julia Ann Nixon's fitness to practise remains impaired in two cases. Reviewing two 12-month suspension orders, the panel found she had not undertaken remediation, training or supervised practice and had not shown sufficient insight into failings in patient care and record-keeping. It replaced both suspension orders with striking-off orders, taking effect on 19 September and 27 November 2026.
Workplace conduct and colleagues
21 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Lorna Fell gave a patient double the prescribed dose of Oramorph, did not record the error or tell the patient, asked a colleague not to report it and asked a doctor to change the prescription to match. The panel also found she made incorrect controlled drug records on two later shifts. It found her conduct dishonest on three counts, found her fitness to practise impaired, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
19 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Belinda Jayne Ellams made comments about Muslims to a colleague, brought weighted steel balls and sharpened scissors into a care home, and posted an offensive image on Facebook. The panel found her conduct was motivated by hostility towards Muslims and had the effect of violating her colleague’s dignity. It found her fitness to practise impaired, noted no evidence of insight, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
17 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that Steven David Wenman, a registered nurse, sent suggestive messages to one colleague, made comments of a sexual nature to two others, and ignored a third colleague in conduct the panel found amounted to bullying. The panel found his fitness to practise impaired by misconduct, noting very limited insight and minimal remediation, and imposed a striking-off order together with an 18-month interim suspension order.
Dishonesty and false records
21 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Lorna Fell gave a patient double the prescribed dose of Oramorph, did not record the error or tell the patient, asked a colleague not to report it and asked a doctor to change the prescription to match. The panel also found she made incorrect controlled drug records on two later shifts. It found her conduct dishonest on three counts, found her fitness to practise impaired, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
19 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Belinda Jayne Ellams made comments about Muslims to a colleague, brought weighted steel balls and sharpened scissors into a care home, and posted an offensive image on Facebook. The panel found her conduct was motivated by hostility towards Muslims and had the effect of violating her colleague’s dignity. It found her fitness to practise impaired, noted no evidence of insight, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
13 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC's Investigating Committee found that Tawanda Lovejoy Chivima, a registered mental health nurse, did not declare four driving-related convictions from March 2020 when he revalidated online in September 2021. He admitted the charges. The panel decided his entry on the register was fraudulently procured and incorrectly made, and directed the Registrar to remove it. It made no interim order, finding no ongoing risk to the public.
Patient safety and safeguarding
21 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Lorna Fell gave a patient double the prescribed dose of Oramorph, did not record the error or tell the patient, asked a colleague not to report it and asked a doctor to change the prescription to match. The panel also found she made incorrect controlled drug records on two later shifts. It found her conduct dishonest on three counts, found her fitness to practise impaired, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
14 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Julia Ann Nixon's fitness to practise remains impaired in two cases. Reviewing two 12-month suspension orders, the panel found she had not undertaken remediation, training or supervised practice and had not shown sufficient insight into failings in patient care and record-keeping. It replaced both suspension orders with striking-off orders, taking effect on 19 September and 27 November 2026.
14 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNursing associate
The NMC's Fitness to Practise Committee found nursing associate Anthony Nethercott's fitness to practise impaired by his criminal convictions. Bristol Crown Court convicted him on 23 October 2025 of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch an image of sexual activity, and attempting to cause a female aged 13 or over to engage in penetrative sexual activity. The panel struck him off the register and imposed an 18-month interim suspension order.
Criminal conviction or caution
21 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Lorna Fell gave a patient double the prescribed dose of Oramorph, did not record the error or tell the patient, asked a colleague not to report it and asked a doctor to change the prescription to match. The panel also found she made incorrect controlled drug records on two later shifts. It found her conduct dishonest on three counts, found her fitness to practise impaired, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
19 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that registered nurse Belinda Jayne Ellams made comments about Muslims to a colleague, brought weighted steel balls and sharpened scissors into a care home, and posted an offensive image on Facebook. The panel found her conduct was motivated by hostility towards Muslims and had the effect of violating her colleague’s dignity. It found her fitness to practise impaired, noted no evidence of insight, and imposed a striking-off order with an 18-month interim suspension order.
17 August 2026Nursing and Midwifery CouncilNurse
The NMC found that Steven David Wenman, a registered nurse, sent suggestive messages to one colleague, made comments of a sexual nature to two others, and ignored a third colleague in conduct the panel found amounted to bullying. The panel found his fitness to practise impaired by misconduct, noting very limited insight and minimal remediation, and imposed a striking-off order together with an 18-month interim suspension order.
Methodology and limits
This page analyses published erasure and voluntary-erasure determinations in the MedicWatch indexed corpus. It does not claim to measure all misconduct in UK healthcare or every regulator decision ever made.
MedicWatch applies a fixed taxonomy to regulator-derived charges, findings, and plain-English summaries. A determination can match more than one category, so category percentages may add up to more than 100%. The denominator for each percentage on this page is 451 published determinations.
Categories describe broad themes in the regulator's published findings. They are not new allegations by MedicWatch. Follow the linked source determinations for the full wording and context.
For citation, describe this as “MedicWatch analysis of its indexed corpus of published UK healthcare regulator erasure determinations”. Do not describe it as a measure of all UK healthcare misconduct.