A nurse has been suspended for six months after making a sexualised remark about children, which he claimed was a joke originally told by comedian Ricky Gervais. James Murray, a nurse at St Andrews Community Hospital in Fife, Scotland, said words to the effect of “if they can bleed, they can breed” during a conversation with a colleague on July 22, 2022, a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) tribunal ruling found.
Mr Murray admitted saying the phrase but argued he was repeating a joke by Gervais. However, Gervais responded on X, stating he has “never said anything like this in a sketch, a screenplay, stand up or privately”. The tribunal panel noted that the conversation extended beyond a single joke into a wider discussion involving further sexualised remarks about children.
The panel found that Mr Murray’s conduct demonstrated a “serious lack of judgment” and was “capable of causing shock and distress to colleagues”. The conversation occurred in front of other staff and could have been overheard by patients. One colleague described the exchange as “really disgusting”.
The tribunal also heard that earlier that day, Mr Murray swore and made an offensive gesture at the charge nurse during a discussion about Covid-19 protocols. He was suspended for six months, with the panel stating such language has “no place in a professional healthcare setting”.
