In 2026, the Offender Database reported that Ashley Boyd, then 28, was struck off the nursing register following a Fitness to Practise hearing. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel found that Boyd, an adult nurse at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, performed unnecessary intimate examinations on male children for his own sexual gratification.
Boyd qualified as an adult nurse in July 2019. Despite not being a qualified children’s nurse, he requested to work in the paediatric area of the emergency department. While rostered as a triage nurse in the paediatric assessment unit, he was tasked with gathering basic medical information. However, between January and August 2023, he carried out testicular examinations that were not part of his job description and had been explicitly forbidden by his line manager.
Admissions and Proven Charges
The NMC panel, which sat from 5–15 January 2026, heard that Boyd took advantage of the “extreme vulnerability” of the children in his care. He admitted to four charges during the proceedings:
- Performing intimate examinations on child patients when not authorised and not clinically indicated.
- Performing intimate examinations after being told specifically not to do so.
- Keeping inadequate or insufficient records relating to these examinations.
- Failing to administer a nebuliser to a child patient as prescribed.
Although Boyd denied that his actions were sexually motivated or dishonest, the panel found both charges proven. Simran Ghotra, representing the NMC, stated that Boyd performed the examinations “in pursuit of sexual gratification.”
Striking-Off Order and Police Investigation
For his misconduct at Great Western Hospital, Ashley Boyd was:
- Struck off the nursing register indefinitely.
- Subjected to an 18-month interim suspension order to cover the appeal period.
The hospital reported that Boyd was suspended as soon as the incidents came to light in 2023. Following a hospital investigation, he was interviewed by police in August 2023. The panel noted that while Boyd provided some evidence of reflection, he continued to attempt to justify his “serious” misconduct.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Boyd is no longer permitted to practice as a nurse in the UK. His actions, which involved a significant breach of trust, are managed under professional and civil safeguards to ensure public safety.
As he has been struck off, Boyd cannot apply for restoration to the register for at least five years, though the nature of the “sexual motivation” finding makes future registration highly unlikely. Great Western Hospital states that they have cooperated fully with the NMC and police to ensure the safety of their paediatric patients. Any attempt to bypass his striking-off order or engage in further “depraved” conduct will result in further legal action.
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