A nurse has been struck off after making antisemitic comments to colleagues at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, central London. Kinga Lesniak admitted using racially motivated slurs while working at the hospital in August 2021.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) described her misconduct as 'deplorable' and said it posed a 'significant risk of harm to the public'. The comments were reported to hospital staff, leading to her immediate suspension. She resigned the following day.
A panel that heard her case earlier this month found her actions fell 'seriously short of the conduct and standards expected of a nurse and amounted to misconduct'. The panel's report stated: 'Your misconduct was so deplorable that it could discourage members of the public, especially members of the black community, from seeking/accessing clinical care when required.'
Ms Lesniak's representative, Sharmistha Michaels, appointed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said she had since apologised to colleagues. Michaels described the incident as a 'one-off' and 'totally out of character', allegedly triggered by work stress during the pandemic while working on a Covid ward.
Michaels added that Ms Lesniak had since completed training and anger management courses and had worked as a registered nurse without further issues. The NMC imposed an 18-month interim suspension order to prevent her from working as a registered nurse.
