Paramedic struck off after he ‘cyber-bullied’ former boss

A PARAMEDIC has been struck off after posting “inappropriate and offensive” comments about his former boss on social media.

Clayton Blight used his Facebook account to target Christopher Sims when he didn’t get a promotion with the Welsh Ambulance Service.

In October 2017 a conduct and competence panel of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) suspended Mr Blight for six months on grounds of misconduct.

They found Mr Blight’s posts amounted to “cyber-bullying” towards Mr Sims over “a considerable period of time”.

But following a substantive review on April 13 the decision was made for Mr Blight to be struck off the HCPC register.

The panel heard Mr Blight posted offensive comments on his Facebook page, including: “You are fat, bald and hopelessly unqualified at your job” and “I find it amazing how muppets work so well with someone’s hand up their a*** controlling them”.

Mr Blight, who became a paramedic in 1986, started writing the posts after he failed to get the role of special operations manager at the NHS trust in 2014.

He also doctored images to look like his former colleagues on his Facebook account which were then viewed by other staff members. His former boss, Mr Sims, saw the posts and images and reported Mr Blight to the HCPC.

Mr Blight left the Welsh Ambulance Service in April 2016 but still continued to post messages online, the panel heard.

The panel found 10 allegations of posting inappropriate and/or offensive messages online to be proven.

Following the substantive review, panel chairwoman Janet Fisher said: “The panel concluded that the risk represented by Mr Blight remained.

“There was nothing to satisfy the panel that this conduct would not be repeated if he were permitted to return to practice.”

The panel ordered for the name of Mr Blight to be struck off the HCPC register.

Mr Blight was neither present nor represented at the hearing.