Former Dudley doctor accused of sexual offences against patients appears in court

Nathaniel Spencer, 38, was charged in December with 45 sexual offences against 38 patients following what Staffordshire Police called a “complex investigation” into alleged sexual assaults at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, in Stoke-on-Trent, and Russells Hall Hospital, in Dudley – said to have taken place between 2017 and 2021.

The force said the 45 charges are made up of 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration and one count of attempted assault by penetration.

Spencer, a former resident doctor with The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, made his first court appearance at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Tuesday.

Wearing a grey suit and white shirt, Spencer, of Great Hampden Street in Birmingham, spoke to confirm his address and his date of birth during the short hearing in front of District Judge Joseph O’Connor.

Spencer was told the offences, which were not read out in court, would be sent to Stoke Crown Court and he must appear there for a plea and trial preparation hearing on February 20.

A number of conditions were added to Spencer’s bail including that he must not have any unsupervised contact with any female children aged under 18 unless with consent of parents, not to take employment that would bring him into contact with female children without written permission of Staffordshire Police, not to take employment in any NHS, private healthcare or any clinical setting, and not to reside in any place where a female child under 18 may be present without permission of Staffordshire Police.

Judge O’Connor told Spencer if he breaches any of his bail conditions, he could be arrested.