![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6793214.jpg\" "\\"A")
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A nurse was suspended after making an inappropriate joke about children (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
A hospital nurse has been suspended for six months after telling what a tribunal described as a \u201cdeeply shocking\u201d joke involving children during a conversation with a colleague. James Murray made the remark while working at St Andrews Community Hospital<\/a>, according to a ruling by the Nursing and Midwifery Council<\/a> (NMC).<\/p>\n The tribunal heard that Murray said words to the effect of \u201cif they can bleed, they can breed\u201d during a conversation with a colleague on July 22, 2022. He admitted making the remark but claimed he was repeating a joke originally told by comedian Ricky Gervais.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Husband kicked his wife unconscious in lift after row about sex at swingers club <\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE: Jilted lover avoids jail over 18-tonne coach rampage on ex-boyfriend <\/a><\/p>\n He claimed it was a “Ricky Gervais” joke (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n However, Gervais later responded to the ruling on social media, saying he had never told such a joke.<\/p>\n \u201cI have never said anything like this in a sketch, a screenplay, stand up or privately,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n The tribunal found the conversation was a \u201chighly inappropriate and unprofessional discussion of a sexual nature involving children\u201d.<\/p>\n It said the exchange took place in front of other staff and could potentially have been overheard by patients.<\/p>\n One colleague told the panel she found the remarks \u201creally disgusting\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know anybody\u2019s backstory,\u201d she said. \u201cFor me, it particularly upset me.\u201d<\/p>\n Murray argued the comment had been misunderstood and was intended as humour.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t make this particular joke up,\u201d he told the hearing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were repeating the joke or interpreting the joke.\u201d<\/p>\n *** Ensure our latest news headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate<\/a> or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***<\/p>\n But the panel concluded that the discussion went beyond simply repeating a joke and included further sexualised remarks involving children.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter considering all the evidence, the panel was not satisfied that it supported the contention that the exchange was confined to a simple retelling of a joke,\u201d the ruling said.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough described at the time as a \u2018joke\u2019, the panel determined that such language has no place in a professional healthcare setting.\u201d<\/p>\n The tribunal said the behaviour showed a \u201cserious lack of judgment\u201d and risked damaging the reputation of the nursing profession.<\/p>\n![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6793218.jpg\" "\\"Portrait")
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