Nurse to be struck off after saying Jewish patients were ‘tight with money’
A nurse who made “very serious” comments about Jewish patients having money difficulties is expected to be fired.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) tribunal ruling said it showed a “consistent theme and pattern” of trying to “minimise” Helen Oluyemisi Balogun’s “anti-Semitic comments”.
Ms Balogun, who the court heard was Nigerian, became a nurse in April 2009 and was employed by Priory Group from November the same year.
The court in London heard from three colleagues about an alleged remark Ms Balogun made in 2023. The panel found that Balogun referred to a Jewish patient as someone who was “strapped for money” and that this was “connected to him being Jewish.”
The court heard it was the second time he was alleged to have made a similar statement about another Jewish patient.
In her oral statement, Ms. Balogun admitted that she had said “I don’t like spending money… I’m a Jew.”
The panel said the two comments “could only reasonably be interpreted as demonstrating a discriminatory attitude towards patients on the basis of race and/or religion.”
He added that her behavior was “very serious, extremely distasteful and went well beyond what the public would expect from a registered nurse.”
Ms Balogun was also found to have said to a Jewish colleague that “Jews do not believe in Jesus” or “Jews do not accept Jesus”, even though he claimed that he did not.
In his witness statement, his colleague said: “Helen had made similar comments in the past, including half-joking comments about Jews not accepting Jesus.
“I think he was half-joking, but I was struck by his comments. I don’t think a belief system is something people should joke about.”
Ms. Balogun was also found to be singing Christian hymns when in close proximity to the same colleague; The panel found this “had the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile and offensive environment” for him and amounted to “harassment”.
In another incident, he referred to the patient’s partner as a “mongrel”, which the court found was “offensive discrimination”.
The panel wrote: “There appears to be a consistent theme and pattern of behavior regarding your behavior in response to your anti-Semitic comments, which you have attempted to minimize, believing you have done nothing wrong.”
Alice Byron, representing Ms Balogun, said she had “outlined sincere regret” and shown “introspective reflection” and “insight into perspectives” beyond herself.
Ms Balogun was granted an interim restraining order and will be permanently removed from the nursing register unless she successfully appeals the decision.
