A midwife who told a mother in labour, “If you don’t push, I’m going to have to cut you,” has been banned from the profession. Adenike Simiat Balogun-Sadiq was struck off by a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel following a hearing on Monday, after she failed to engage with the regulator and showed no insight into her misconduct.
Incident at Princess Royal University Hospital
The incident took place at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley, south-east London, on July 17 and 18, 2019. According to the panel, Balogun-Sadiq failed to treat her patient, referred to as Mother A, “with kindness, respect and compassion” when Mother A “stated she felt she couldn’t push any more.” The midwife responded by saying: “If you don’t push, I’m going to have to cut you.”
Balogun-Sadiq also told Mother A: “What’s wrong with you? Are you emotional?” after the patient cried out in pain. The NMC decision also found that Balogun-Sadiq “failed to ensure that Mother A had adequate pain relief in place before commencing and/or during the suturing process.”
Suspension and failure to remediate
Balogun-Sadiq was initially suspended for six months by a Fitness to Practise Committee panel in April 2025, after being found guilty of misconduct. The suspension was reviewed on September 17, 2025, and confirmed for a further six months, and again on March 23, 2026. The second reviewing panel considered that the suspension would give Balogun-Sadiq “the opportunity to provide reflections on her misconduct and would allow her to undertake further relevant training.”
The panel also noted that the misconduct was “an isolated incident in what had hitherto been 22 years of a previously unblemished career.” While suspended, Balogun-Sadiq was instructed to submit a “reflective piece to demonstrate that she has gained insight into her failures” and how it would inform her future practice. However, according to Monday’s decision, she continuously failed to engage with the regulator after the first order was made.
Striking-off order imposed
Balogun-Sadiq did not attend the virtual hearing on Monday, despite having been sent notice. The panel found there was a risk she would repeat the misconduct behaviour and, in her absence, decided to impose a striking-off order, which will come into effect on November 6, 2026.
The decision read: “In light of Mrs Balogun-Sadiq’s failure to demonstrate improved insight or remediation of the failings found in her practice, the panel determined that there remains a real risk of repetition of the misconduct found proved. Mrs Balogun-Sadiq’s lack of engagement with the NMC and her failure to address the identified concerns constituted a significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse, the misconduct identified in this case has and would continue to put patients at risk of harm and is therefore fundamentally incompatible with her remaining on the register.”
False information to the NMC
Balogun-Sadiq had also admitted to providing false information to the NMC when she completed paperwork in November 2022, stating that she had retired on August 31, 2022. In fact, she was continuing to undertake midwifery shifts at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, south London, according to the NMC.
