Nathaniel Spencer, 38, faces multiple charges related to assaults on patients at two West Midlands hospitals between 2017 and 2021
A doctor has been charged with the sexual assault of 38 patients, including children, while working at two major hospitals in the West Midlands, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed. Nathaniel Spencer, aged 38, from Quinton, Birmingham, faces a series of serious charges following a detailed investigation by Staffordshire Police.
Spencer, who worked as a resident doctor at Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent and Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, has been charged with 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, and nine counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. He is also facing three counts of child assault by penetration and one count of attempted assault by penetration.
The charges relate to alleged incidents that occurred between 2017 and 2021, with Spencer accused of committing the offences against patients at both hospitals. While the CPS and Staffordshire Police have refrained from disclosing the specific details of the victims, including whether multiple children were involved, the case has sent shockwaves through the medical community and the public.
Spencer is due to appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 20 January 2026 to face the charges. In response to the investigation, he has been suspended from practising medicine in the UK. The General Medical Council (GMC) has confirmed it has taken action to prevent him from working while the investigation into his fitness to practise continues. The GMC has stated that its investigation will resume once the criminal proceedings have concluded.
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The hospitals involved have also been affected by the shocking revelations. Both the University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust, where Spencer worked between 2017 and 2020, and the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, where he worked from 2020 to 2021, have expressed their distress over the charges. Both trusts have set up helplines to support patients and staff who may have concerns related to the case.
Dr Paul Hudson, operational medical director at Dudley Group, said: “We understand that many of our patients, staff, and people in the wider community will find this news very distressing.” The trust has also stated that it has been cooperating fully with the police investigation.
The CPS’s decision to prosecute comes after what has been described as a “detailed and complex” investigation. Both hospitals have assured the public that patient safety remains their top priority, while UHNM has refrained from making further comment due to the ongoing legal process.
The case has sent ripples through the healthcare sector, highlighting the importance of vigilance and safeguarding in medical environments. As the legal proceedings unfold, many are left grappling with the distressing nature of the allegations and the impact on the affected individuals.
