Essex nurse struck off after 'sexually motivated' behaviour towards pregnant woman
A nurse whose “sexually motivated” behaviour towards a patient distressed her so much she felt she could not seek further hospital treatment and had a “lasting impact” on her health and wellbeing.
Wahab Issoop Lootfun, who worked in Essex as a nurse, took “advantage” “for personal gratification” while looking after a woman who was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage, the nursing regulator has ruled.
Mr Lootfun has now been struck off the nursing register by the Nursing and Midwifery Council after an investigation and hearing into the incidents.
The specific charges against Mr Lootfun included: “sexualised” touching of the patient’s thighs and upper body; asking her intrusive personal questions without clinical justification; giving her his personal mobile number; making phone calls to her without clinical justification; sending her text messages unrelated to her care; asking for her home address, visiting her residence outside of work hours without clinical reason; inviting her to get into his car; and requesting and giving the woman a hug.
The regulator’s panel found his conduct was a breach of professional boundaries, was “sexual in nature”, and “was sexually motivated in that you were in pursuit of a future relationship” with the woman.
The woman attended the hospital in February and March 2019 and was seen by Mr Lootfun, who was the nurse allocated to perform blood-taking.
In March 2022, Mr Lootfun was suspended from the hospital trust pending an internal investigation into the concerns.
In March 2022, Mr Lootfun resigned from his role and in April 2022, a referral to the Nursing and Midwifery Council was made.
The regulator’s panel found that, due to Mr Lootfun’s actions in 2019, the woman was inhibited in her further access to necessary medical care and she had felt compelled to seek hospital care elsewhere to avoid further interactions with Mr Lootfun.
This was to the extent of refusing to be taken to hospital by ambulance when she had been advised to do so following further miscarriages, as well as not visiting her own mother in the hospital when she was an in-patient.
The panel was of the view that this suggests a profound and lasting impact Mr Lootfun’s behaviour had on the woman’s mental and emotional well-being.
The report following the hearing states: “ Mr Lootfun’s actions were not only unprofessional but also sexually motivated and aimed at pursuing a personal relationship with the woman.
"This conduct represents a significant breach of the trust inherent in the nurse-patient relationship."
The panel recognised that Mr Lootfun’s exploitation of Patient A’s vulnerability was particularly serious and in breach of the duty of care expected from a healthcare professional.
“The nature of these communications suggested a deliberate attempt to establish a relationship with Patient A.”