The nurse joked that “Due to the red weather warning Starmer has asked the illegals to use the channel tunnel.”
Tina Patricia Orbell has been suspended for six months (Image: Getty)
An NHS nurse who made a series of offensive social media comments including “stop the boats” and “deport them all” has been suspended for six months. Tina Patricia Orbell was found guilty of misconduct after she shared and commented on material which contained discriminatory language, a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) misconduct panel ruled.
At the time, she was working as a bank nurse in the emergency department at University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. The judgment said that in early 2025, the NMC received referrals from three members of the public and three former colleagues of Mrs Orbell raising concerns regarding material she had shared and commented on.
The posts were shared between July 2024 and February 2025 (Image: Getty)
The posts, which were shared and commented on between July 2024 and February 2025, were reported as containing “inflammatory, discriminatory and hostile language”.
After the referrals, Mrs Orbell deleted her Facebook and Instagram accounts, the ruling said.
One post shared online by the nurse read: “Due to the red weather warning Starmer has asked the illegals to use the channel tunnel.”
The panel heard that under a photo of a crowd waving Union and England flags, she wrote: “Stop the boats! I predicted that eventually the British would come together and fight back. This government is corrupt through and through! We deserve better.”
In another, she commented “deport them all”.
In a statement of case, the NMC said the nurse’s conduct is “is capable of causing members of the public to believe they could experience less favourable treatment”.
It said that while Mrs Orbell has shown insight into her conduct, she also tried to minimise her culpability by stating she was not “IT savvy” and had a misunderstanding as to “how social media works”.
The nurse was said to have apologised and expressed remorse for her behaviour, and stated in an employment form that she felt “deep shame and regret” over them.
The panel found the posts shared and commented on by Mrs Orbell “contained offensive, derogatory and discriminatory language towards people of different races, religions and immigration statuses”.
The panel made a suspension order for a period of six months and imposed an interim suspension order for a period of 18 months.
It said the nurse did not provide written representations with regard to her sanction, but did state she had retired and did not intend to return to the profession.
