The nurse, one of many Filipino staff at Tübingen University Hospital in Germany, has insisted that they were playing a popular parlour game from the Philippines, but the doctor’s future remains in doubt.

The incident took place at a Christmas party and came to the attention of hospital bosses after a photo of the 65-year-old doctor and 32-year-old nurse was posted on social media, The Times reports.

Paediatric department head Rupert Handgretinger had been invited to the Christmas party for Filipino staff because he speaks Tagalog and his late wife was from the Philippines.

The nurse in question, Yanina Flores, told Die Zeit: “I didn’t know Mr Handgretinger from before but I was impressed by how well he knew our culture. And I liked that he played along with the games and wasn’t shy. You rarely get that in Germany.”