A male nurse who told a patient her breasts “looked lovely” during an examination has been suspended.

Wayne Bronze told the patient “nothing wrong with those, they look lovely to me” in April 2015 at The Island Surgery, on Canvey.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council cleared Bronze of telling the patient at a later appointment: “I have a sudden urge to slap your bum.”

But he admitted 26 allegations of breaching protocol and inappropriate conduct, including 19 charges of not offering female patients a chaperone.

Bronze was accused of making the bum comment during an appointment in February last year. He was also cleared of adding: “I’m going to slap it anyway.”

Both sets of comments were alleged to be sexually motivated, but the panel found they were merely “inappropriate”.

In a judgment, the panel said: “You admit that you conducted a clinical examination of Patient A’s breasts and you admit that your statement to Patient A was poorly phrased and inappropriate.

“The panel accepts that such a statement was entirely inappropriate but could not make a finding that it was sexually motivated.

“It accepted your evidence that you have a jovial rapport with a lot of your patients and that your turn of phrase was ‘stupid’ and inappropriate.”

Bronze was found to have later told the patient, during a meeting, that she was “not my type”.

The patient later reported inappropriate photos on Bronze’s Facebook account, including one that said: “Spread happiness by smiling at a stranger today or flash them your boobs! Strangers love boobs.”

The panel added: “Whilst a risk to patient harm is not directly engaged by the presence of inappropriate Facebook posts on your public profile, it found that your workplace and registration as a nurse being associated with such posts which were open for patients and the public to access, may deter patients from accessing the clinical practices of nurses.

“Some patients would certainly hesitate to see nurses were they to see such posts and consequently believe that their practitioners hold such views.”

It added: “As regards remorse, the panel determined that you have demonstrated a degree of remorse.

“However, it observed that this remorse is again limited in its scope to yourself and your family and has not yet developed sufficient remorse that extends to Patient A or others.”

Bronze has been suspended for nine months.

A spokesperson from The Island Surgery said: “Wayne Bronze is no longer employed by The Island Surgery. We strive to provide the best care possible and if any patients have questions or concerns, we would encourage them to contact us directly.”