A NURSE who allegedly made sexual advances towards a mental health patient has had several charges against him dropped.

Kenneth Ngobele is alleged to have avoided work and instead instigated a sexual relationship with a woman, referred to as Patient A, while working at a Basildon mental health unit. Ngobele was a deputy charge nurse at the unit, run by South Essex Partnership Trust, in 2009 when the incidents are alleged to have taken place.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council resumed an investigation into the allegations in London’s Old Bailey yesterday which began last summer.

Ngobele is charged with inappropriately crossing sexual boundaries, with three allegations cited – that he gave his mobile phone number to Patient A on or around June 13 2009, called Patient A in a non-professional capacity, and made explicit sexual comments making advances to her on or around June 14, 2009.

However, the council has dismissed allegations Ngobele had sex with Patient A on one or more occasions and a second charge that he threatened to release confidential information about the woman to her employer.

The patient was being treated for a mental breakdown when she met Ngobele in 2009.

During her short stay at the unit, she claimed Ngobele questioned her about her sexuality and sexual partners, whether she had one-night stands. She also claimed he regularly came on to her.

The case has yet to reach a conclusion as the council ran out of time on three occasions.

The council told the Echo it hopes to reach a conclusion by Thursday.

A trust spokeswoman said: “Mr Ngobele had been previously employed by the trust and following the disclosure of the allegations a full internal investigation was conducted by the trust.

“Mr Ngobele was summarily dismissed, based on the findings of the investigation, and this was subsequently reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council by the trust.”

Ngobele could be struck off if found guilty.