Radiographer who took sexual images of himself banned

A radiographer who took sexually explicit photographs of himself while on duty has been struck off.

The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) decided at a review hearing to remove William Smethurst, who worked at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, from its register.

Smethurst was first suspended in 2024 after a panel found he had taken the pictures in a clinical area of the hospital.

The tribunal found Smethurst, who did not attend the hearing, had also acted dishonestly when he was first questioned in June 2022 about the images.

Review panels repeatedly extended Smethurst's suspension.

The final hearing heard he had not engaged with the process, had provided no evidence of remediation, training or reflection, and had not attended meetings.

The HCPTS's conduct and competence committee panel said there was no evidence that their concerns about Smethurst had been addressed and concluded that striking him off was the only proportionate sanction.

The panel said the order was needed to protect the public and uphold confidence in the radiography profession and its regulation.

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