Radiographer Abused Medical Software for 'Lifelike' Nude Images
A senior radiographer with four decades of experience has been permanently barred from practising after a disciplinary tribunal found he reconstructed CT scans to create explicit 3D images of female patients' bodies. Ian Hardman, 62, exploited medical imaging software to generate realistic depictions of women's naked torsos and genitalia for what was determined to be his 'sexual proclivities'.
Systematic Breach of Patient Trust Uncovered
The misconduct occurred at Highfield Hospital in Rochdale, part of the Circle Health Group, where Hardman had been working since January 2022. On December 20, 2023, during a solitary early morning shift, Hardman performed his disturbing actions with alarming efficiency. Between 7:54 am and 8:27 am - a mere 33-minute window - he processed scans from six separate female patients to produce the inappropriate reconstructions.
Colleagues discovered the disturbing images later that day when they noticed unusual 'soft tissue' settings on archived scans. These settings resulted in what the tribunal described as 'enhanced visualisation of all soft tissue structures, including female genitalia'. Charlotte Brownhill, the hospital's Director of Clinical Services, testified that the standard black and white medical images had been deliberately manipulated to 'add the skin back on to the patient's images', creating lifelike nude representations.
Educational Defence Dismissed as 'Deplorable' Actions Condemned
Hardman attempted to justify his actions as educational, claiming he was merely enhancing his skills as a radiographer. However, the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) panel rejected this explanation outright. They noted that as a senior radiographer with 40 years of experience, he had access to proper training materials and that creating such images fell outside his professional responsibilities.
The panel concluded his conduct was 'sexually motivated' and represented a 'deplorable' breach of patient trust. They determined he had 'rushed to create the scan images which best suited his sexual proclivities' and specifically targeted female patients, having not reconstructed any male scans in this manner.
The tribunal emphasised that Hardman's actions constituted multiple serious violations:
- Breach of patient dignity and confidentiality
- Abuse of professional position
- Creation of sexualised images without clinical justification
- Violation of the fundamental trust between healthcare professional and patient
Despite Hardman's claims that no images were downloaded or shared, and that no physical harm came to patients, the tribunal stressed the profound psychological and ethical violation of his actions. Following his dismissal from Highfield Hospital, Hardman had taken up a part-time NHS role, but the striking-off order now permanently prohibits him from working in any healthcare capacity.
