A Scots A&E nurse who was caught with a haul of vile child abuse images has been banned from the profession by a watchdog.
Darren Thomas Hancock was employed by NHS Forth Valley when he was arrested and charged by police in November 2019.
The health worker was released on bail with conditions which prevented him from going to work at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert ahead of his court case.
He was later dismissed by hospital chiefs in March 2021 after admitting his guilt at Falkirk Sheriff Court.
At his sentencing in April 2021, Hancock was placed on the sex offenders’ register for three years and ordered to complete 225 hours of unpaid work.
The case was referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who found that Hancock’s ‘deplorable’ behaviour was ‘fundamentally incompatible’ with remaining on the register.
In a decision notice, the watchdog said: “Although Mr Hancock did not cause any harm to patients directly in his care, nor was the offence committed in a location where he was employed to provide nursing care, the victims of his offence – the children in the images – would have suffered harm as a result of Mr Hancock’s conduct, and others would be put at risk of harm by the perpetuation of the market for such images.
“The conviction raises serious concerns about the potential risk he poses to others as a result of his behaviour in accessing images of child abuse.
“Mr Hancock has engaged in sexual conduct which could be considered to be deplorable by fellow practitioners and members of the public.
“It is clear that Mr Hancock’s conduct brings the profession into disrepute in that the public’s trust in the nursing profession has been seriously undermined.
“Mr Hancock’s criminal offending has so seriously undermined the public’s trust and confidence in him.
“His criminal offending and subsequent sentence is fundamentally incompatible with being a registered professional nurse.
“Only a Striking Off Order will be sufficient to protect patients, maintain public confidence in the profession and maintain professional standards.”
In a short statement submitted to the NMC panel, Hancock said he was “deeply ashamed” of his offending, which took place over a three day period in November 2019.
He said: “I accept that my conviction means that my fitness to practice is impaired and I do not dispute any of the facts presented by the NMC.
“I would like to stress that I am deeply ashamed of my actions, and would seek to assure the panel that I am truly committed to making the changes necessary, so that I do not commit any offences in the future.
“I am willing to discuss any thoughts you may have and I hope that I can convey to you that I will never commit such an offence again.”
A spokesperson for NHS Forth Valley said: "A member of staff was suspended and subsequently dismissed following an internal investigation."
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