A paramedic has been struck off the register after offering to remove a student’s tampon while she was suffering a medical emergency.
James Birdseye, who was employed by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust, told the student he wanted to see her naked and that he had “slept with other students” while they worked a shift together on June 22 2019.
He then conducted a clinical examination of the student without her consent after she had started to unexpectedly bleed, before pulling down her trousers and underwear without permission and making inappropriate remarks about her genital area, according to a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) tribunal panel.
The panel found Mr Birdseye’s behaviour was “predatory in nature” and the emergency had given him “an opportunity to exploit the situation to gain sexual gratification”.
The paramedic also kissed the student on her cheek and offered to take her out for a meal and drinks during the incident.
Mr Birdseye was suspended by the trust four days after the incident, and resigned from his role on November 4 2019 following an internal investigation.
In a statement provided for a review hearing into the matter on May 19 2025, Mr Birdseye said he was “deeply regretful” of his actions and apologised for any harm or distress he caused to the student.
He said: “I can accept that in the events leading up to the incident with Student A, I displayed an overfamiliarity with them that crossed the boundaries of a normal professional relationship and I acted in a manner than I am not proud of.
“I did not give enough thought to the impact that my behaviour could have on Student A who was in a vulnerable state.
“While I do not agree to having maliciously used this vulnerable state to pursue a sexual relationship with them, I do concede that my behaviour fell drastically short not only of what the profession expected of me but what I should have expected of myself nor only as a practising paramedic but as a person, a mentor and a father of teenage children.”
Mr Birdseye said he had undertaken a course on maintaining professional boundaries following the incident, adding: “I did not adequately alter my view of Student A from colleague to patient”.
The HCPC panel found Mr Birdseye’s behaviour caused the student “emotional harm and unwanted sexual harassment” and amounted to serious professional misconduct.
“The panel finds that the registrant’s conduct on 22 June 2019 was predatory in nature as Student A was new to the workplace, the registrant had deliberately manipulated the crew rota sheets to ensure he was working with her, there was a power imbalance, and his comments across the day were said in an attempt to establish a future sexual relationship with Student A,” the panel said.
“To this extent the conduct was premeditated, demonstrated an abuse of his professional position and was not isolated in nature.
“The subsequent medical emergency, which could not have been foreseen, gave the registrant an opportunity to exploit the situation to gain sexual gratification.”
The panel made an order to strike the paramedic’s name from the register after determining his fitness to practise remains impaired, having initially suspended the paramedic for a period of 12 months in April last year.
They said: “While the panel note that the registrant does not wish to return to practice, this may change in the future and not restricting him, given the seriousness of the allegation found proven, would undermine public confidence in the profession and the HCPC.”
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