PERVERTED HOAXER TARGETS HOSPITALS
Caller poses as doc to quiz female staff over sex problems
FEMALE NHS workers are being targeted by a perverted hoax caller who poses as a doctor.
The man calls hospital switchboards asking to speak to a gynaecologist, sexual health worker or midwife.
To get his sordid kicks, he then pretends to ask for help with sex problems. Sources said he is believed to have been operating for at least five years and has called more than 20 hospitals.
The caller is said to have previously used two pseudonyms.
A message on a physicians’ Facebook group said: “He has caught out many intelligent doctors. Anyone who has been the target of one of his calls should be reassured that they are not alone.”
An NHS spokesman said: “NHS staff are working hard to deliver care for patients while experiencing record demand so it is completely unacceptable that their time is being wasted.
“Sexual misconduct in any form is completely unacceptable and the NHS is committed to ensuring a safe environment for staff and patients.”
The man is thought to have targeted hospitals in London, Oxford, Reading, Bristol, Worthing, Chichester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Brighton, Plymouth, Doncaster, Bath, Gloucester, Bangor and Scotland.
Staff at Salisbury District Hospital reported him to the police last August, but Wiltshire Police said: “We were not able to progress the investigation due to a lack of evidence.”
The National Police Chiefs Council said they had no record of the case.
NHS trusts are committed to ensuring appropriate reporting mechanisms are in place for unwanted, inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviours.