An NHS nurse who enjoyed a sexual relationship with a patient failed to call an ambulance when he died in the back of his car during a secret late night rendezvous, a disciplinary committee has heard.

Married Penelope Williams had been enjoying a year long fling with the dialysis patient when he suffered heart failure with his trousers down in a hospital car park while with her.

Ms Williams, who had hidden the relationship from bosses, failed to call 999 and instead rang a colleague who turned up and performed CPR, the panel heard.

Now, the nurse has been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council who warned she had 'brought the nursing profession into disrepute'.

The panel heard Ms Williams started working for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board as a Registered Nurse in a Renal Haemodialysis Unit in October 2019.

NHS nurse Penelope Williams who enjoyed a sexual relationship with a patient failed to call an ambulance when he died in the back of his car during a secret late night rendezvous, a disciplinary committee has hear

Ms Williams, who had hidden the relationship from bosses, failed to call 999 and instead rang a colleague who turned up and performed CPR, the panel heard

Her patient, and later lover - known only as Patient A - was one of the unit's regulars who needed regular dialysis.

Ms Williams and Patient A began a sexual relationship in January 2021, and she did not tell bosses about it, the panel was told.

In January of the following year, a colleague - known only as Colleague One - received a phone call from Ms Williams who was 'crying and distressed' and asking for help because 'someone had died', the committee heard.

She had met the patient in a car park in Wrexham in January 2022 - and called for help at 23.56pm when he blacked out. 

The colleague told her to call an ambulance, but Ms Williams failed to do so.

The colleague later arrived at the car park, where she met Ms Williams and could see Patient A in the back of a car with his 'trousers down'.

Colleague one went to check Patient A who was unresponsive, so she called 999 asking for police and ambulance before starting CPR.

He then died from 'heart failure and chronic kidney disease triggered by a medical episode'.

Ms Williams initially told police Patient A had sent her a message on Facebook explaining he was unwell, and so she 'came to meet him'.

But she later admitted she and Patient A were in a sexual relationship and said they had previously arranged to meet at the car park that evening, the panel heard.

Ms Williams initially told police Patient A had sent her a message on Facebook explaining he was unwell, and so she 'came to meet him'

The NHS nurse has been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council who warned she had 'brought the nursing profession into disrepute' [Stock photo]

'Mrs Williams denied any sexual relationship. She further explained that Patient A started groaning and suddenly died,' the committee said.

The health board carried out a disciplinary hearing in May 2022 and fired her.

The committee concluded the nurse's behaviour breached guidance on clear sexual boundaries and struck her off from the register.

'Mrs Williams has acted to put patients at risk of harm by failing to contact emergency services when the patient became unwell and when prompted by her colleague,' the panel said. 

'Mrs Williams has brought the nursing profession into disrepute and breached one of the fundamental tenets of the profession by engaging in an intimate relationship with a patient in breach of guidance on clear sexual boundaries.'

The hearing was told that between January 2021 and January 2022 she had breached three rules - entered into an intimate and/or sexual relationship with Patient A, communicating with Patient A via Facebook and/or on the telephone and met up with Patient A outside of the working environment. 

She has been banned for a minimum of 18 months when she can reapply. 

• An earlier version of this article reported information published in a judgment by the Nursing and Midwifery Council which had incorrectly identified Spire Wrexham as the site of the incident. In fact, the incident had no connection to Spire Yale Hospital premises or any of its staff, nor did Ms Williams work for Spire. The NMC have withdrawn and corrected their determination, and issued an apology to Spire Healthcare for the error. 

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