Introduction to the Incident

A surgeon who stripped naked in a toilet cubicle and told a colleague they had sex there has been struck off the medical register. This incident occurred while the surgeon was working at a hospital. A young colleague, who had been chatting with the surgeon online, arranged to meet him in the hospital toilet as a mutually convenient meeting point. However, the colleague had no intention of having sex with him and was left "shocked, numb and frightened" by the encounter.

Details of the Incident

The surgeon did not apologize to the colleague or to two others whom he had demonstrably sexually harassed. He was not represented at the hearing and did not attend. The panel heard that the surgeon, an intestinal surgeon, tried to kiss another colleague and exposed himself to him. Additionally, the surgeon repeatedly attempted to touch the thigh and penis of a third colleague while he was working on the hospital’s wards.

Findings of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel found that the surgeon’s behavior was sexually harassing and constituted a serious breach of the expected standard. The first man reported the allegations to police, but the second and third men involved did not report their allegations "out of shame". The panel concluded that the surgeon was liable for "very serious" misconduct.

Outcome of the Hearing

The panel concluded that the surgeon would be immediately deleted from the medical register after the hearing. This decision reflects the severity of the surgeon’s misconduct and the need to protect patients and colleagues from similar behavior in the future. The surgeon’s actions were a clear violation of the trust and professionalism expected of medical practitioners.