Radiographer banned after pulling down child's shorts
GoogleA former children's hospital radiographer has been suspended from the profession after he pulled down a young patient's shorts without consent.
Melbin Thankachan worked for Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool in 2022, with concerns raised over his clinical ability and communication skills.
On several occasions, he did not know how to ask for consent. On one occasion in September 2022, he did not consult with a young patient nor their parents before pulling down their shorts, nor did he seek consent with another patient in October 2022 before tying her gown.
He resigned in December 2022. The following August, he was he was suspended for 18-months, which was extended in 2025 and in 2026.
Thankachan was employed by Alder Hey Children's Hospital between July and December 2022, and during that time he was not allowed to work alone, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
After the incidents, a referral was made to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) around his fitness to practice.
It was alleged that during his time working at the hospital, Thankachan was unable to communicate effectively as his spoken English and understanding of the language was poor.
He had to type what he wanted to say on his phone.
Babygro incident
In another incident in December 2022, days before he resigned from the hospital, Thankachan did not know how to ask a patient's mother how to remove their babygro.
It was also alleged that in August 2023, Thankchan sent a "threatening" email to a former colleague.
In July last year, he confirmed he wanted to be removed from the register and asked whether his name could be removed that day.
Documents released by the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS), revealed patients could not understand him, and as a result, he could not tell some they needed to be sent to an orthopaedic clinic following their x-ray examination.
An HCPTS panel deemed the allegations to be serious and described them as "wide-ranging".
It was agreed Thankachan's name would be removed from the list of registered radiographers on the grounds of public protection and full remediation would be required should he ever seek to regain registration.
Alder Hey Children's Hospital Trust has been contacted for comment.
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