Stephen Hawking's former nurse suspended amid secret misconduct hearing
Stephen Hawking’s former nurse has been suspended as a secret hearing takes place over allegations of "serious" misconduct, it has emerged.
Patricia Dowdy, 61, has been banned from practicing since the scientist’s family lodged a complaint against her in 2016.
A hearing into the case is currently taking place at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), but the details of the allegations have been kept secret and the public and the media have been banned from attending.
The decision to hold the tribunal behind closed doors has raised concerns about open justice.
Mrs Dowdy worked for the A Brief History of Time author for around 15 years and was frequently seen at his side.
Prof Hawking died aged 76 at his Cambridge home in March last year, more than 50 years after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Cambridge is where the alleged "misconduct" took place, according to details on the NMC website.
Further publicly available documents show that Mrs Dowdy was suspended in March 2016, a decision which is normally only taken when the allegations are sufficiently serious.
The "substantive" hearing against her is likely to last until January 18, but it will remain behind closed doors.
Mrs Dowdy, from Ipswich, Suffolk, said that she had "no comment" to make on the proceedings.
A source with knowledge of the inquiry told the Mail on Sunday that the allegations were "pretty serious".
In 2004 Professor Hawking’s second wife Elaine Mason was accused of abusing the physicist by ten nurses who had cared for him after he was repeatedly taken to hospital with injuries including a broken wrist, and cuts to his face and lip.
Police took no action after both Prof Hawking and Ms Mason denied the allegations.
It is not known whether Mrs Dowdy was one of the nurses involved in the complaint.
A source close to Prof Hawking told the Telegraph: ““I knew Pat, she was lovely. She was fully qualified. I don’t know what this is all about, but I’m sure it’s nonsense. And now Stephen’s not here to protect her.”
Matthew McClelland, Director of Fitness to Practise at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said: “Our legislation and guidance is very clear that hearings usually take place in public. "Sometimes there are important reasons - including in this particular case - why we hold hearings in private in order to protect the interests of all individuals affected.
“This is made clear in our guidance and our hearings panel consider these decisions very carefully. "We will publicly share the outcome and any sanction when the hearing has concluded."
The fact that they are refusing even to discuss why the hearing is being held behind closed doors has raised concern.
John Hemming, the former MP and open justice campaigner, said: "Justice in the dark is never proper justice. If you want people to have confidence in the regulator, then justice needs to be done - and seen to be done."
Mr Hawking became confined to a wheelchair in his 30s and had a round the clock rota of nurses providing care for him.
The nurses were paid for by Cambridge University, which employed the professor.
A family spokesman said that they did not wish to comment on the NMC hearing but said that the past year had been a “distressing” time.
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