Full Analysis Summary
Charges against former doctor
The Crown Prosecution Service charged former doctor Nathaniel Spencer, 38, of Quinton, Birmingham, on 5 December 2025 with 45 sexual offences allegedly committed against 38 patients between 2017 and 2021.
Reported counts across outlets include 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.
The charges stem from a Staffordshire Police investigation.
Spencer is due to appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 20 January 2026 (some outlets report the court date simply as 20 January).
Coverage Differences
Tone / Emphasis
Mainstream sources (The Independent, The Telegraph, Wired Gov) frame the story around the formal CPS decision and legal process, while tabloids (Daily Mail, The Sun) and local outlets (Birmingham Live) emphasise the number of alleged victims and specific child counts for sensational impact. Each source reports the same charge totals but varies which details it foregrounds.
Hospital probe locations
Multiple outlets identified alleged locations and the police unit leading the probe.
Reports link incidents to Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent and to Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.
They say Staffordshire Police's Public Protection Unit, referred to as Operation Anzu in some reports, carried out a detailed investigation.
Local and regional outlets highlighted the NHS trusts involved, naming North Midlands NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, and several sites described the investigation as 'complex' or 'detailed'.
Coverage Differences
Detail / Naming of operation and trusts
Some sources name the police operation (upday News reports 'Operation Anzu') and specify NHS employers (The Telegraph cites North Midlands NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust), while others name only the hospitals or simply refer to a police investigation without the operation name. This is a difference of reported operational detail rather than contradiction.
Prosecution statements and warnings
The Crown Prosecution Service and local prosecutors are quoted across outlets emphasising that they reviewed evidence and concluded there was sufficient evidence and that prosecution was in the public interest.
Deputy chief crown prosecutor Ben Samples is named in several reports.
Many outlets repeat CPS reminders that proceedings are active and that Spencer is entitled to a fair trial.
Some outlets explicitly warn against prejudicial online commentary.
Coverage Differences
Source emphasis on legal safeguards
Mainstream sources (Wired Gov, The Independent, upday News) quote CPS language about sufficiency of evidence, public interest and fair trial safeguards. Tabloids and local outlets also report these statements but tend to combine them with more sensational framing; none of the sources dispute the CPS statements, they vary in prominence.
Media reports on Spencer
Some outlets add personnel and career details that other reports omit.
The Telegraph reports Spencer trained at the Medical University of Warsaw, qualified in 2017, held a full UK licence from 2019 which was not renewed in 2021, and worked for North Midlands NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.
The Daily Mail also reports that Spencer has been suspended from medical practice pending the outcome.
Other sources simply describe him as a 'former' doctor or 'former junior' doctor without the training and licence details.
Coverage Differences
Missed information / Additional background
The Telegraph provides extra background on Spencer’s training and licence status that is not present in many other reports (Wired Gov, upday, SSBCrack, which focus on charges and investigation). The Daily Mail uniquely mentions suspension from practice. These are differences in the depth of biographical reporting rather than contradictions in the core allegations.
Media coverage differences
Tabloids such as the Daily Mail and The Sun, along with some local outlets, emphasize the number of alleged victims and the presence of child victims for sensational framing.
Mainstream national outlets like The Independent and The Telegraph focus on the CPS process, the complexity of police investigations, and often include prosecutorial quotes.
Regional and local outlets including Birmingham Live and Stourbridge News concentrate on community impact and the court timetable.
Non-UK and other outlets such as El-Balad and SSBCrack generally mirror factual details while highlighting the hospitals and police units involved.
There are no direct factual contradictions across these sources, but consistent differences appear in emphasis, background detail, and levels of sensational language.
Coverage Differences
Tone and Narrative
Tabloids use more sensational phrasing and include extras such as an email contact in The Sun snippet, while mainstream and local outlets emphasise legal procedure and investigation detail. Non-UK or other outlets reiterate factual elements (charges, hospitals, police unit) but rarely add UK-specific background like licence history.