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A leading surgeon, who was suspended for sexually harassing a nurse at a Manchester hospital, has been given the green light to return to work by a tribunal. Dr Rajesh Shah was found guilty of serious misconduct after it was discovered that he had 'squeezed' a woman's bottom and 'brushed his body against her breasts' in two 'deplorable' instances of sexual harassment. The 61 year old also confessed to referring to female colleagues at Wythenshawe Hospital as 'birds' when he couldn't recall their names and asking staff to complete parts of his mandatory training on his behalf. READ MORE: Red cups and overturned barriers - the scene at nightclub after shooting READ MORE: Inside town being ripped apart in war over flags as groups battle it out on Midland roundabout Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp , click the link to join After a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing in August 2024, Dr Shah, hailed as a 'leading light in thoracic surgery in Manchester', was suspended for 12 months. The General Medical Council later attempted an unsuccessful appeal against the sanction, arguing that the consultant thoracic surgeon should be struck off. Allegations were made that between 2005 and 2021, Dr Shah, who graduated from Bombay University in 1988, behaved inappropriately towards two female colleagues, with some of this behaviour constituting sexual harassment. However, the tribunal found that the allegations made by one of the complainants were not proven. Following a complaint, the hospital trust initiated an investigation in 2021. Dr Shah was dismissed in April the following year and the matter was also reported to the police, reports the Manchester Evening News . The tribunal highlighted an 'imbalance of power' between Dr Shah and the complainants. It was revealed that in 2014, Dr Shah had inappropriately touched a female colleague, referred to as Colleague B, in a hospital coffee room. In 2019, he allegedly initiated a conversation with Colleague B, during which he 'brushed his body against her breasts' and 'squeezed her right buttock'. Dr Shah described himself as 'tactile by nature' and admitted there may have been 'social touching', but denied any misconduct. Several other allegations made by another woman, known as Colleague A, spanning from 2005 to 2021 against Dr Shah were not proven. During a review hearing on 12 September this year, Christopher Geering, representing Dr Shah, stated that the surgeon's 'extraordinary legacy' had been tarnished by his misconduct. According to Mr Geering, Dr Shah 'had accepted that behaviour was sexually inappropriate and that he failed to appreciate the seriousness of the power differential'. Furthermore, he had completed several remediation courses, demonstrated 'insight' into his misconduct and, as found by the 2024 tribunal, there was no risk of repetition, added the solicitor. The panel has ruled that Dr Shah can return to work, stating he has 'remediated his conduct' and shown 'genuine insight' into his behaviour. They added that Dr Shah was 'safe to return to unrestricted practise, having restored public confidence and maintained his clinical competence'.
