Psychiatric Nurse Banned from Profession Following Misconduct Findings

A psychiatric nurse has been permanently removed from his profession by his regulatory body after an incident in which he placed his hand down a patient’s pyjama bottoms and touched her private parts. Emakpor Marvin Ogo, who was employed on the Crystal Ward in Luton, faced charges of penetration and sexual assault of a patient but was acquitted by a jury at Luton Crown Court. However, the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) concluded that he had pursued a sexual relationship with the patient and engaged in sexually motivated activity. Following a misconduct hearing, he was prohibited from the profession after his fitness to practise was deemed to be impaired. The Crystal Ward is an acute adult mental health ward for female patients, operated by the East London NHS Foundation Trust and situated within the grounds of the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital. The panel heard that in January 2016, Ogo initially approached the patient for a discussion before she eventually returned to her room. The nurse then went to the room, opened the door, and proceeded to ask her questions about her private life and speak to her in a sexually explicit way. He inquired if she wanted to have sex with him and if she would touch him, told her he loved her, and stated he would think of her when he was in bed at home. Ogo also requested that she open her legs before he embraced and kissed her. The hearing was also informed that he placed his hand down her trousers and top and touched her. During an interview with police, the patient conveyed that she had felt “really scared… really uncomfortable” and no longer felt “100% safe on the ward”. Ogo was charged with penetration and sexual assault a year later, in January 2017, before standing trial at Luton Crown Court in September that year. He was subsequently found not guilty of both offences but failed to inform the NMC about the criminal proceedings until August 2018. The nurse consistently denied the allegations throughout the police investigation, the trial, and the NMC’s subsequent hearing. The panel, however, ruled Ogo had engaged in “sexual misconduct” and had “failed to protect a vulnerable patient” in his care. Update 25/11/2024: A previous version of this story stated that Emakpor Marvin Ogo worked at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, based on the report supplied by the NMC. Ogo worked on the Crystal Ward, a facility run by the East London NHS Foundation Trust and located within the grounds of the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.