A male nurse faces possible legal action after he had sex with a vulnerable mental health patient whose care he'd been involved in.
In a report today, the Health and Disability Commissioner said the man's action was sexually exploitative and breached patient rights.
It said the unnamed nurse had a long and exemplary record providing court liaison for clients of a community mental health service.
But, one day in September 2013, he saw a woman he knew, and whose care he had been involved with, in town, and asked if he could pop in to her home.
She agreed, thinking it was work-related, but he turned up with wine and asked for sex.
She complained to a case manager later, saying it had left her feeling "yuck" and considering overdosing.
The commissioner, Anthony Hill, said the nurse's conduct was unethical and unprofessional.
