A Northern Ireland midwife who posted controversial comments on social media about the Covid pandemic has been struck off. Seana Kerr posted comments including that the virus was a ‘Trojan horse intend[ed] to introduce a new era for humanity’ and that ‘babies were being attacked in the womb through vaccination’. She also made comments about healthcare professionals as well making an approach to a pregnant woman identified as Patient A and telling her that if ‘she received a flu vaccination this would increase the risk of her baby being stillborn’. Patient A and her family ‘were caused significant emotional harm’, according to a report issued on June 3. Details of the findings against Ms Kerr, who worked for the Southern Health Trust, are contained in a ruling of a Nursing and Midwifery Council Fitness to Practise panel. The panel, the ruling says, ‘decided to make a Striking-off order’. That move came after a ‘substantive suspension order originally imposed for a period of 12 months by a Fitness to Practise Committee panel on 20 June 2024’. In its report the NMC says that “On or around 14 August 2020, identified yourself as a midwife and advised a member of the public: a. That she should not be wearing a face mask whilst pregnant. b. That wearing a face mask whilst pregnant was reducing the amount of oxygen her baby was receiving. c. That she should not receive a flu vaccination. d. That if she received a flu vaccination this would increase the risk of her baby being stillborn.” The NMC panel ruled that: “Your actions at charge 1 were unprofessional in that the advice you purported to give was: a. unsolicited. b. given outside of a clinical relationship. c. contrary to the position of your employer and/or the World Health Organisation and/or mainstream medical opinion and provided without this qualification or caveat.” The panel findings added: “Between 27 September 2020 and 19 December 2021, identified yourself as a midwife on social and/or other media and advised the public at large: a. On 27 September 2020, that babies were being attacked in the womb through vaccination of mothers during pregnancy. b. On 04 March 2021, that: i. Professionals who were ‘complicit’ in the national response to Covid-19 no longer had the ‘I didn’t know what I didn’t know get out clause’. ii. the current health crisis was a Trojan horse intend to introduce a new era for humanity. c. On 19 December 2021, that ‘they’ had been ‘planting the seeds’ about Covid-19 over Christmas 2020 by referring to ‘some bat in China’.” The panel concluded that “in the light of the above, your fitness to practise is impaired by reason of your misconduct”. The original panel, that looked into the conduct ahead of Ms Kerr’s suspension determined that “Patient A and their family were put at risk and were caused significant emotional harm as a result of Ms Kerr’s misconduct”. They added: “The panel noted that it is a reasonable expectation of everyone working in a public environment, such as a shop, that they will not be approached and given personal, clinical advice and that such advice would normally only be given during a private clinical appointment or at an antenatal class. “Therefore, by approaching Patient A in her place of work, outside a clinical relationship, unsolicited, Ms Kerr placed her at significant risk of harm. It noted that at that time Patient A had no easy means to avoid the conversation, being at her place of work. Additionally she was pregnant and the panel considered that this made Patient A more vulnerable, especially given the Covid-19 pandemic. “Ms Kerr’s misconduct had breached the fundamental tenets of the midwifery profession and therefore brought its reputation into disrepute. Regarding insight, the panel considered that Ms Kerr has demonstrated no insight at all. The panel considered that by making repeated comments online after the concerns were raised to Ms Kerr by the Trust, she has shown a disregard for the Trust’s disciplinary process and a total absence of insight or remediation. “The panel was satisfied that the misconduct in this case is capable of being addressed. However, the panel had no information before it that Ms Kerr has taken any steps to reflect on her conduct or shown any insight or to strengthen her practice. Therefore, in light of the above, the panel is of the view that there is a risk of repetition. The panel therefore decided that a finding of impairment is necessary on the grounds of public protection.” The NMC said that the panel “acknowledges Ms Kerr’s right to freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights”. But they added: “However, Ms Kerr’s advice and social media comments were given when she identified herself as a midwife, promoting her opinion on matters of clinical importance. Ms Kerr’s actions therefore engaged her professional responsibilities as a registered midwife. “The panel considered that the actions of Ms Kerr took place during an exceptionally unusual time, where the entirety of the NHS was mobilised to protect the public from the international Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, by expressing the view that other healthcare professionals, who Ms Kerr was working with in the Trust, were acting in ways which may cause harm, a view Ms Kerr held which was against the recognised guidance at the time, Ms Kerr risked seriously undermining the public confidence in the profession. “It further noted that by making these accusations that Ms Kerr’s colleagues may have suffered harm while working in an unprecedented and challenging situation. The panel concluded that in light of the above a finding of impairment on public interest grounds is required.” The panel noted that Ms Kerr “has not shown remorse for her misconduct, nor has she demonstrated any insight into her previous actions” before adding that they were “of the view that considerable evidence would be required to show that Ms Kerr no longer posed a risk to the public”. The panel report concluded: “The panel determined that a further period of suspension would not serve any useful purpose in all of the circumstances. The panel determined that it was necessary to take action to prevent Ms Kerr from practising in the future and concluded that the only sanction that would adequately protect the public and serve the public interest was a striking-off order.” For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.