A British doctor, Nathaniel John Spencer, 38, has been charged with 45 sexual-offence counts involving 38 patients, including children, at two major hospitals in the West Midlands, UK.
Staffordshire Police announced the charges on Friday, confirming that Spencer — formerly of Quinton, Birmingham — faces 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, and one count of attempted assault by penetration.
According to police, the alleged offences occurred between 2017 and 2021 at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent and Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the decision to charge Spencer followed “a detailed and complex investigation by Staffordshire Police’s Public Protection Unit.”
Spencer, who has been suspended from medical practice, is expected to appear at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre on January 20, 2026.
Due to the sensitive nature of the case and the ongoing investigation, Staffordshire Police said additional details — including the number of children involved — would not be released at this time.
Spencer previously worked as a resident (junior) doctor at the University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust from August 2017 to August 2020, before joining The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust from August 2020 to April 2021.
Both hospital trusts confirmed they have opened dedicated helplines for concerned patients.
Reacting to the developments, Dr. Paul Hudson, Operational Medical Director at The Dudley Group, said:
“We understand that many of our patients, staff, and people in the wider community will find this news very distressing.”
He added that the trust had been “working closely with the police throughout the investigations.”
In a separate statement, the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said:
“As this is an ongoing criminal process, we cannot comment further at this time but we would like to reassure the public that the safety and well-being of our patients and their relatives are our highest priority.”
The General Medical Council (GMC) also confirmed that Spencer has been suspended pending the outcome of criminal and regulatory proceedings.
“Our investigation will continue once criminal proceedings have concluded,”
the GMC said, adding that Spencer “remains suspended until that time.”
