The nurse who caused a stir by claiming “if you have voted Conservative, you do not deserve to be resuscitated” has been removed from the register of the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). Miranda Hughes made the claim on Channel 5 back in October, and the NMC has now ruled that her fitness to practise was “impaired” by this misconduct. Guido isn’t sure that the expression of an opinion, albeit unsavoury, could impact someone’s fitness to act as a medical professional…
The NMC’s decision also cited social media posts where Miranda committed the egregious crime of calling Tories evil and saying – brace yourself – “f*ck you” to Boris Johnson. The NMC claims the ruling will help maintain “public confidence in the profession and upholding standards”… even though Miranda hasn’t worked as a nurse since the incident in October. Striking off qualified professionals is just what the NHS needs as it deals with chronic staff shortages and record waiting lists…
Co-conspirators can read the NMC’s full decision letter below:
Fitness to practise case – Miranda Clara Hughes
Application for agreed removal from the NMC register
I write further to my letter dated 8 August 2023 in relation to Miranda Clara Hughes’s application for agreed removal from the NMC register.
The NMC Registrar has decided to grant agreed removal in this case. The Registrar considered all the circumstances of the case in accordance with our legislation and guidance. Please refer to the Fitness to Practise guidance library section of our website at www.nmc.org.uk for further information on agreed removal.
In reaching their decision, the Registrar considered the following factors:
What the Registrar decided and why
ASSISTANT REGISTRAR’S DECISION
A decision has been made by the Registrar to agree the application for agreed removal based on the assessment of the relevant criteria. The reasons for the decision to agree removal from the Register are below.
Details of charge
That you, a Registered Nurse:
1) On 30 July 2021 used social media to post “Priti Patel and her Tory cronies are evil. I hope karma comes for them”.
2) On 8 December used social media to post “Fuck you Boris Johnson, fuck you #PMQs”.
3) On or before 3 October 2022 said on a televised broadcast, “And I’m sorry but if you have voted Conservative, you do not deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS”.
AND in light of the above, your fitness to practise is impaired by reason of your misconduct.
ASSISTANT REGISTRAR’S REASONS
The following documents were considered when assessing this agreed removal application:
Background
The NMC received multiple referrals from members of the public following Mrs Hughes’ appearance as an audience member on the Channel 5 television show “Britain on the Brink: the live debate” on 3 October 2022. The allegation is that Mrs Hughes was an audience member and was introduced as a former NHS nurse.
Mrs Hughes was asked by the host to share her views. Mrs Hughes said she was no longer nursing, she said that she “could not handle the emotional stress of not being able to deliver for my patients.” She said that as a nurse “you sign up to put the patient at the forefront of everything you do. You are squeezed to a point where you cannot treat people the way you want to treat them and it eats you up.” She went on to say, “you are there to do a job as a compassionate person there are no resources and you are told persistently on the news that care homes are being ring fenced, it’s a lie, and I’m sorry but if you have voted conservative, you do not deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS”. This provoked an immediate reaction from the host and the audience and she responded, “I know that is harsh”.
Mrs Hughes was asked straight away by the host whether she meant what she said and whether she would resuscitate people and she said, “of course I would”. At the time she was employed as a rehabilitation case manager, and was dismissed as her attendance on television had breached their media policy.
Following the television show there was a social media backlash and Mrs Hughes provided an interview for the Daily Mail where she said that she made the comment in the heat of the moment.
Further concerns came to light during the NMC investigation and it is alleged that Mrs Hughes posted inappropriate and/or offensive messages on social media in July and December 2021, which were open to the public to view.
Public interest considerations
Our agreed removal guidance explains that we’ll agree applications for agreed removal where:
I’ve first considered whether the concerns are so serious they’re fundamentally incompatible with being a registered professional. The seriousness of the concerns will be a key factor in considering whether agreed removal is suitable or whether we need to take action in the public interest.
The Code sets out that nurses, midwives and nursing associates must use all forms of spoken, written and digital communication (including social media and networking sites) responsibly. Nurses, midwives and nursing associates may put their registration at risk if they act unprofessionally. Making comments of this nature on television and social media is a serious concern and can undermine the public’s confidence in the profession.
During the interview Mrs Hughes confirmed that she spoke in the heat of the moment and that she would resuscitate all patients. There’s no reason to think that Mrs Hughes would deliberately cause harm to patients as a result of their political views.
In reaching my decision I’ve taken into account Mrs Hughes’ previous career as a nurse, that there have been no previous concerns of a similar nature and the evidence we’ve received which demonstrates some insight into the seriousness of the posts she made. In conclusion, I’m satisfied that if found proved, the fitness to practise committee are unlikely to impose a striking-off order.
Mrs Hughes has confirmed that she has not practised as a nurse since October 2022 and that she is working in a different profession within the hospitality sector.
We invited the people who made the referral to comment on the application. Of those who responded, some said they objected and others didn’t raise objections. I’ve taken these comments into account when reaching my decision. I’m satisfied that agreed removal would protect the public as it would mean that Mrs Hughes would be immediately removed from the register and would not be able to work as a nurse.
Assistant Registrar’s decision
Mrs Hughes’ immediate removal from the register and the publication of the decision is a proportionate means of maintaining public confidence in the profession and upholding standards. I’ve therefore decided to approve Mrs Hughes’ application for agreed removal from the NMC register.
Because I have agreed the application, an abstract of this decision will be published and made available for one year from the date of this decision.
Miranda Clara Hughes’s name has been permanently removed from the NMC register with immediate effect. Agreed removal decisions are published on the NMC website in line with our publication guidance. We will not publish or disclose health details.
Should Mrs Hughes decide to apply for readmission to the register the details of the allegations will be considered. They must be able to demonstrate that they’re capable of safe and effective practice and are of good health and good character.
