Key Points
- Striking-Off Order Imposed: Midwife Adenike Simiat Balogun-Sadiq has been struck off the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) professional register following a fitness to practise panel hearing.
- Aggressive Verbal Statements: During a labor delivery in July 2019, Balogun-Sadiq told a patient, referred to as Mother A: “If you don’t push, I’m going to have to cut you” and later asked, “What’s wrong with you? Are you emotional?” after the mother cried out in pain.
- Inadequate Pain Relief: The NMC panel established that Balogun-Sadiq failed to ensure Mother A had adequate pain relief before commencing and during the suturing process following delivery.
- Dishonesty and False Retirement Claim: Balogun-Sadiq admitted to providing false information to the NMC in November 2022 by claiming she had retired on August 31, 2022, while actively continuing to undertake midwifery shifts at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, South London.
- Absence and Lack of Engagement: Balogun-Sadiq failed to attend the virtual hearing on Monday and demonstrated a complete lack of insight or remediation regarding her past misconduct.
- Enforcement Date: The decision confirms that the striking-off order will formally come into force on November 6, 2026, replacing her previous suspension order.
Bromley (South London News) October 2, 2026 – A midwife who told a mother in labor “If you don’t push, I’m going to have to cut you” has been permanently struck off the professional register following a review by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise committee. Adenike Simiat Balogun-Sadiq was banned from practicing after the regulatory body determined her actions constituted serious misconduct, a total lack of compassion, and a failure to protect patient safety during care provided at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley, South-East London. The decision follows an interim suspension order initially imposed on April 7, 2025, culminating in a final ruling on Monday that removes her from the register permanently.
As reported by Mathilde Grandjean of The Independent, the misconduct occurred during a shift on July 17 and 18, 2019, while Balogun-Sadiq was attending to a patient identified in tribunal documents as Mother A. According to findings detailed in the official NMC determination, when Mother A stated that she felt physically unable to push any further, Balogun-Sadiq issued the verbal threat regarding cutting her. Subsequently, when the patient experienced severe discomfort and cried out in distress, Balogun-Sadiq made further inappropriate remarks, asking her:
“What’s wrong with you? Are you emotional?”
What Were the Specific Details of the NMC Hearing and Findings?
As reported by Lu Williamson and Mathilde Grandjean for MyLondon, the regulatory panel examined multiple aspects of Balogun-Sadiq’s clinical care and professional conduct during the incident in July 2019. In addition to the verbal abuse documented by the committee, the NMC established that Balogun-Sadiq failed to ensure Mother A had adequate pain relief in place before commencing and during the suturing process post-delivery. The panel ruled that Balogun-Sadiq failed to treat the patient with the fundamental requirements of kindness, respect, and clinical compassion expected of a registered healthcare professional.
As further reported by Hannah Clarke of The Update Desk, the NMC panel highlighted additional dishonesty charges that significantly impaired Balogun-Sadiq’s fitness to practise. Official records show that Balogun-Sadiq admitted to providing false information to the regulatory body in paperwork submitted in November 2022. In those documents, she declared that she had retired from practice on August 31, 2022. However, the NMC confirmed that she was in fact continuing to undertake active midwifery shifts at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, South London, during that timeframe.
As reported by London Now, Balogun-Sadiq chose not to attend the virtual regulatory hearing on Monday, despite being given proper notification of the proceedings. The NMC panel considered her absence alongside her continued failure to engage with the disciplinary process.
In the formal written decision, the NMC panel stated:
“In light of Mrs Balogun-Sadiq’s failure to demonstrate improved insight or remediation of the failings found in her practice, the panel determined that there remains a real risk of repetition of the misconduct found proved”.
The panel’s decision continued:
“Mrs Balogun-Sadiq’s lack of engagement with the NMC and her failure to address the identified concerns constituted a significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse. The misconduct identified in this case has and would continue to put patients at risk of harm and is therefore fundamentally incompatible with her remaining on the register”.
The striking-off order is scheduled to take effect formally on November 6, 2026, marking the definitive conclusion of her eligibility to practise nursing or midwifery within the United Kingdom.
Background of the Particular Development
The striking-off of Adenike Simiat Balogun-Sadiq follows a multi-year regulatory process initiated after the July 2019 incident at Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley. The hospital, operated by King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, forms a primary acute care center for South-East London. Regulatory oversight of UK midwives is governed strictly by the Nursing and Midwifery Council under statutory powers designed to maintain clinical standards and public trust.
Following the initial clinical incident and subsequent internal reviews, formal misconduct charges were brought before the NMC’s Fitness to Practise Committee. The tribunal process resulted in an initial suspension order issued on April 7, 2025. Interim suspension orders are regularly reviewed under standard UK regulatory procedure to determine whether a practitioner has taken remedial actions, such as retraining or reflection, to address clinical shortcomings. Over the subsequent 18-month review period, Balogun-Sadiq did not present evidence of professional remediation or insight into her communication failures and clinical choices. Consequently, the regulatory framework dictated a escalation from temporary suspension to a permanent striking-off order to eliminate ongoing risk to the public.
Prediction: How This Development Can Affect the Audience
This regulatory ruling primarily impacts prospective mothers, maternity patients across London and the wider UK, healthcare workers, and NHS trust management structures.
For maternity patients and pregnant women using NHS services, the decision provides a visible enforcement of patient care standards, specifically regarding consent, pain management, and respectful communication during vulnerable moments like labor. The public outcome reinforces patient rights surrounding bodily autonomy and transparent care, potentially encouraging patients to voice concerns or register complaints if subjected to inappropriate conduct during delivery.
For practicing midwives and NHS nursing staff, the striking-off order serves as a clear regulatory precedent regarding communication and honest reporting. It emphasizes that verbal intimidation, failure to administer adequate analgesia, and administrative dishonesty (such as misrepresenting employment status or retirement dates) carry career-ending consequences. Healthcare trusts may respond by tightening monitoring protocols around temporary shift work and enforcing stricter oversight during suturing and pain relief management in labor wards.
