UK nurses break taboo on affairs with patients

If you are admitted to a hospital in Britain, you may find it relatively easy to have an affair with a nurse.

In a recent survey, thousands of nurses in London, justified breaking the taboo on having an affair with a patient.

Almost one in 10 nurses thought that starting a relationship with one of their patients was acceptable.

The survey published in the Nursing Times, a leading weekly magazine for nurses in the UK, revealed that one in six respondents said that they knew of a colleague who had a sexual relationship with a patient they were looking after.

Relationships between nurses and patients are not uncommon, and many of them end up in marriage, the survey said.

Britain nursing professionals numbering 400,000 also include a large number of nurses from India.

In January, the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) issued strict new rules reminding nurses that they face disciplinary action if they embark on a sexual relationship with a current patient.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the survey findings, of 3,600 nurses, are "very concerning".

Peter Carter, general secretary of the RCN, said a relationship with a current patient can never be condoned but believed relationships with former patients were acceptable in some circumstances.