Twisted nurse gets ward ban for life
‘ Deplorable’ behaviour
A mental health nurse convicted of possessing child abuse images has been struck off.
Andrew Bryce, who was employed by NHS Ayrshire & Arran, was added to the sex offenders register for hoarding indecent images.
A Nursing and Midwifery Council ( NMC) panel branded Bryce’s behaviour “deplorable” and said allowing him to continue working would put patients at risk.
The NMC panel made a striking- off order after considering Bryce’s case last month.
Their findings said: “The charges for which Mr Bryce was convicted involve serious harm to children.
“There were high- level B indecent images of children on his computer. The panel is of the view that there is a risk of repetition.”
Police found 180 images during a search of Bryce’s electronic devices following a raid of his home in Fiddison Place, Prestwick, last year.
Bryce was sentenced to three years of community supervision and added to the sex offenders register at Ayr Sheriff Court in March.
The court heard Bryce admitted to police being aroused when looking at the illegal images.
He viewed the images within a twoweek period and it was a low number compared to other cases, the court heard.
The NMC panel said: “Mr Bryce’s actions were significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse and are fundamentally incompatible with him remaining on the register.”
The panel said allowing him to continue to work as a nurse would put patients at risk and undermine public confidence in the profession and the NMC.
Divorced Bryce resigned as a community psychiatric nurse when the offences were discovered.
He was convicted of one charge of taking or permitting to be taken or making indecent photographs or pseudophotographs of children and another charge of possession of the images.
The NMC panel findings said Bryce admitted that the crime brought into question his character and fitness to practise.