Nurse Sacked For Selling Patients' Erectile Dysfunction Info For Amazon Gift Card

Following an investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, he has been barred from practicing nursing anywhere else in the UK for six months (NMC).

The NMC demanded that he be permanently barred from practicing medicine, but an independent disciplinary panel chose to grant him another chance, citing character references that described Samas as a "great nurse" and the fact that no patients were hurt.

(Image: Google Maps)

According to a written explanation of the verdict, the panel determined that Samas had purposefully concealed the arrangement from his trust managers because he "understood it was wrong."

By assisting research into prostate cancer medicine and treatment for erectile dysfunction, Samas claimed he intended to "make a difference" and "better patient's lives."

(Image: Google Maps)

However, the panel, consisting of David Evans, Kim Bezzant, and Kevin Connelly, wrote: "[The panel] noted that you had supplied your bank details in an email to the company, had received monies from it and had attempted to redeem an Amazon gift voucher from them.”

"You could have declined these financial benefits or given them to the Trust.”

"It noted your admission that you had kept the money for your personal use.”

"The panel decided that you knew you were going to be paid, based on the clear audit trail of the emails between yourself and the Company, and that you had not declared this to management as you knew it was wrong."

The panel members called Samas' testimony "contradictory" and claimed he made "untrue assertions," such as claiming he donated the money to a hospice when he subsequently admitted he kept it for himself.

Samas said in his testimony that he had requested his patients verbally for permission to share their information.

Even though it was a necessity under trust policy on patient confidentiality and medical research protocols, the panel decided he could provide "no logical explanation" for why he did not seek written authorization.

The panel members stated: "The panel found there is also no convincing evidence that a formal discussion had taken place with these patients concerning the process, and nothing to indicate the nature of information you gave to them, including whether you would be gaining financially from the provision of information.”

"The panel concluded that your motive for not obtaining written consent and recording it in the patients’ notes was to obscure your actions from scrutiny within the Trust."

Although Samas' awareness of his wrongdoing was "limited" and "at an early stage," the panel determined that he was contrite and showed regret.

The members stated: "The panel considered it to be very serious when a nurse acts without integrity, and in this case, a suspension order would be a proportionate sanction and would protect the public whilst satisfying the public interest.”

"It took into account that keeping a good and experienced nurse on the NMC’s register is an important factor to be considered and it is in the public interest to allow you the opportunity to return to safe practice when you have been able to demonstrate sufficient insight."

"When the Trust became aware of complaints about Mr. Samas' behavior, an internal inquiry was launched," a spokeswoman for Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which owns Broadgreen Hospital, stated.

"As a registered nurse, this process involved the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Mr. Samas’ employment with the Trust ended in March 2018."