Christian nurse in UK fired after 'giving her patient a Bible' is allowed back to work

(Screenshot from Christian Concern YouTube)British hospital nurse Sarah Kuteh

A British hospital nurse, Sarah Kuteh, who was fired for telling patients about her Christian faith and giving on patient a Bible was cleared last week following a two-year investigation.

After dismissing her, Darent Valley Hospital in southern England reported Sarah to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), questioning her "fitness to practice," Christian Concern, which took up her case said.

For nearly two years since, the NMC has held a series of hearings to determine whether Sarah would continue to be able to practice as a nurse.

The 49-year-old nursing sister was supported by the Christian Legal Centre, and engaged an prominent lawyer, Jonathan Storey, to represent her at the hearings.

On July 26, the NMC panel unanimously ruled that Kuteh was fully "fit to practice" and revoked all restrictions on her nursing practice.

The decision by the NMC comes two years after she was marched out of the Kent hospital where she worked and sacked for gross misconduct having discussed her faith with patients, the Daily Mail newspaper reported in its online edition

Kuteh was never accused of any clinical failure or wrongdoing, but was told by the regulator that her fitness to practice was impaired and she had failed to "respect equality and diversity."

She had been allowed to work in recent months only under the close supervision of a superior and in accordance with tight restrictions.

15 YEARS NURSING EXPERIENCE

The nursing sister has 15 years of experience and on average, she would see around 30-40 patients a week, and over the course of six months spoke to hundreds of patients, said Christian Concern.

The charity said that although Kuteh had no intention of imposing her beliefs on others, she would sometimes tell them about how her own faith in Christ had helped her overcome adversity.

"I would... reassure them, based on the joy and peace that I really have found in Jesus," she said.

In April 2016, her hospital matron came into her office and said she had been told by other staff about a few complaints by patients that she had discussed religion with them.

Kuteh said that from then on, she would only discuss religion if the patient asked her to.

If they initiated the conversation about religion, she would check they were happy.

But in June 2016, she was called into the matron's office and was shocked to be told that further complaints had been made.

Only days later, she was suspended, told to collect her belongings and escorted from the hospital.

Kuteh said that the experience was "embarrassing and very painful."

"I was walked out of that hospital after all I had done during all my years as a nurse and I was told I couldn't even speak to any of my colleagues," she said.

"All I had done was to nurse and care for patients. How could it ever be harmful to tell someone about Jesus?"

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