AN A&E nurse has been struck off after sexually assaulting nine colleagues by inappropriately touching their breasts and between their legs.
Adam Soothill was removed from the nursing register last week after admitting 24 counts of sexual assault towards his female peers between 2017 and 2019.
The 33-year-old, who worked at Royal Preston Hospital, was found to have touched and grabbed his colleagues breasts, as well as putting his hands between their legs.
In October last year Soothill was convicted of the 24 incidents of sexual assault at Preston Crown Court in Lancashire.
He admitted the charges and has subsequently been issued with a striking off order by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
They said: “Adam Soothill admits the following charges – That you, a registered nurse on 27 October 2021 at the Crown Court at Preston were convicted of 24 counts of sexual assault of a woman 16 or over – no penetration.
“And in light of the above, your fitness to practise is impaired by reason of your conviction.”
The NMC also published further details relating to the vile incidents, including a statement from the judge at the time who said:”You undoubtedly preyed on these women so often and in such a manner that you made their lives uncomfortable, miserable, miserable within the workplace, in several instances it got to a stage where some did not wish to come to work.
“In relation to one victim, you had only worked with her once and that was the occasion you sexually assaulted her.
“In relation to another, she was so distressed by what you had done, that she went to the sluice room and cried.
“You took advantage of the workplace situation.
“You had relied on the fact that these women would not want to complain or felt uneasy about complaining.
“The touching you indulged in was not only unwanted, but sexual. It was also harassment and bullying behaviour which is not acceptable in any workplace.
“Although your colleagues should have felt able to trust you, you were not in a position of trust towards them.”
The regulatory body found that Soothill provided no evidence of insight or reflection to demonstrate remediation.
On making their decision to remove him, they concluded: “The sole mitigating feature in this case is as follows was that Soothill has admitted the charge in these regulatory proceedings and that his fitness to practice is impaired by reason of his conviction.
“While the panel accept that patients were not placed at direct risk of harm due to Soothill’s actions, it did consider that by virtue of the toxic and harmful environment he had created by sexually assaulting his colleagues.
“The appropriate sanction in this case is a striking off order.”
Soothill was jailed for 30 months after being convicted of sexually assaulting the women.
He was also put on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.
