A sexual health nurse who engaged in sexual activity with a patient after meeting up with her to give her medicine has been struck off the nurse’s register. 

Tapiwa Zhou was employed at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, when the allegations were made. 

A misconduct hearing held by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) last week heard that in April 2017 the woman had been given an antibiotic pill by Mr Zhou.

A few hours later she texted him to say she had thrown up. 

She said: “I told him I was sick and he told me to meet him later, not to tell anyone, that he would give me more tablets.” 

The panel was told that Mr Zhou picked her up and took her to the Hilton in Wembley where they had a drink. 

When she said she was feeling quite drunk Mr Zhou then drove her home but on the way stopped the car three times. 

On the third occasion he exposed his genitals and pushed her head down for oral sex, the hearing heard.

The woman said she then became hysterical, so he dropped her back at Kenton station. 

She later reported the incident to the police.

Mr Zhou claimed he had previously had a sexual relationship with the woman before she became his patient, so this did not breach a professional boundary. 

However, the NMC said this differed from what he told the police. 

“The evidence in front of the panel suggests that you did not know Patient B as well as you said you have, and that she only recognised you as a member of the community,” the NMC said. 

Ryan Ross, presenting the case against Mr Zhou, described his behaviour as potentially “predatory”. 

The panel concluded that Mr Zhou had placed his own sexual gratification above the interests of the patient. 

“You took deliberate steps to facilitate a sexual relationship with Patient B, using your own telephone to contact her, securing her attendance by offering to inappropriately administer medication, all of which were contrary to the trust’s protocols,” they said.