Alexander Robert McMurray was sacked by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust in December 2020
Kristy Dawson Multi-Media Journalist
00:45, 04 Apr 2026
An NHS logo(Image: Getty Images)
A nurse who called one colleague “fat” and two others “f***ing useless” has been struck off. Alexander Robert McMurray was working as a Theatre Nurse at a hospital in County Durham when concerns were raised about his conduct.
A nursing and midwifery council hearing heard how he told a registered nurse that they should retire in November 2019. He told them: “You should retire properly because you’re no use to anyone”.
Mr McMurray then called a healthcare assistant fat and/or referred to her weight in March 2020. She described, in her evidence, how she felt “embarrassed” and “belittled” as a result of the comments made about her weight.
The same month, he also made comments to a different healthcare assistant. He told them: “I’m a band 6, you are a band 2, you should do what I tell you” before saying “s**t rolls down the hill” and “go take your face for a s**t”.
In April 2020, Mr McMurray told a band six nurse and a Band 6 sister in the Theatres Department that they were “f***ing useless”. He said, in an aggressive manner, that he was “in charge” and called the nurse a “clown”.
The nurse stated: “At 11.30 Alex came into the coffee room and looked me in the face and said in a loud voice ‘you’re a clown’.
Mr McMurray, who had been a Theatre Nurse since April 2018, was sacked by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust following a disciplinary hearing on December 14, 2020. The trust alleged in 2021 that he had displayed offensive behaviour to colleagues within the Theatres Department at the hospital between November 2019 and April 2020.
The panel said that Mr McMurray’s behaviour was “undermining, humiliating and offensive towards colleagues”. They said it did not directly impact patients but had the potential to place patients at risk as it undermined the cohesiveness of the team.
They acknowledged that Mr McMurray was a Band 6 nurse and, in relation to some of the witnesses, held a position of leadership and was expected to act as a role model. They took into account the personal circumstances he was experiencing at the time.
The panel found that Mr McMurray’s fitness to practise was impaired. They said he sought to downplay his role, apportion blame to others and failed to fully take responsibility for his behaviour.
They concluded that Mr McMurray’s level of insight was limited, there was no evidence of remorse and there remained a risk of repetition. They decided to make a striking-off order, which directs the registrar to strike him off the register.
They said: “In the panel’s view, the findings in this case demonstrate that Mr McMurray’s conduct was serious and allowing him to continue practising would not protect the public and would undermine public confidence in the profession and in the NMC as a regulator.”
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “We can confirm that the individual concerned was previously employed by the Trust; however, they are no longer in our employment.
“At County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust we take professional behaviour standards extremely seriously, and the conduct of our colleagues is expected to consistently reflect the values of the NHS. The safety and wellbeing of our patients remains our highest priority at all times.”
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