RADIOGRAPHER GUILTY OF FACEBOOK MISCONDUCT DAMAGING TRUST IN HEALTHCARE
A RADIOGRAPHER who "humiliated" and "degraded" her colleagues by posting sexually offensive comments about them on Facebook has damaged public trust in the healthcare profession, a tribunal heard.Laura Turner sent a series of lewd messages to one of her co-workers about their colleagues at University Hospital of North Durham during one of her shifts.
She was dismissed after the comments were shared in March 2014 and has now been found guilty of professional misconduct at a Health and Care Professionals Council tribunal.
Panel chairman Philip Geering stated, "The panel is of the view that the registrant's conduct fell well short of what would be proper in the circumstances and breached the standards of the HCPC." She behaved unprofessionally by sending sexually explicit and degrading messages to her colleagues, with one message asking if her colleague had "ever knocked 1 out over" one of their female colleagues and who he would want to be "tea-bagged" by, among other explicit comments.
She also shared photographs with x-rays and patient notes visible in the background, taking a cavalier attitude to patient confidentiality.
This behavior significantly undermined public confidence in the Trust and the healthcare profession.
Witnesses described her actions as "humiliating" and "degrading," and the incident caused emotional distress among colleagues, with one victim saying she was "angry" and "in disbelief" and had to have a cry.
Turner claimed she was "easily led" and that her colleague told her what to write, expressing disgust at herself.
The tribunal emphasized that she had failed to show meaningful remorse and was focused on her personal impact and job security.
