Surgeon who sexually assaulted colleagues jailed

Amal Bose was head of cardiovascular surgery at Blackpool Victoria Hospital

A senior heart surgeon with a "god-complex" who abused his position to sexually assault female hospital staff has been sentenced to six years in jail.

Amal Bose, from Lancaster, spent more than five years groping his Blackpool Victoria Hospital colleagues, who told the court they were too intimidated to speak out because of the 55-year-old's seniority.

Several victims said they had been left with lasting effects including panic attacks and anxiety, including one who began self-harming and two who left their jobs, Preston Crown Court heard.

But Bose told Lancashire Police when they arrested him: "it was only flirting".

He had headed the hospital's cardiovascular surgery service and was, the court previously heard, the root cause of "a toxic and sexualised culture" there.

One woman told the court it was "a well known fact" and that newcomers would be advised on how to deal with him.

He regularly commented on the women's appearances, referring to one as "fresh meat" and describing others as "shaggable" on a WhatsApp group.

The court heard how he touched women on their breasts, groin and waists, while passing it off as accidental, or banter.

In June Bose was convicted of 12 counts against five women, carried out between summer 2017 and late 2022.

Colleagues told the court they were too intimidated to speak out because of Bose's seniority

The court heard impact statements from the women, who cannot be named to protect their identity.

His victims were largely younger, more junior members of staff who felt unable to report his behaviour because of his powerful position in the trust.

One, who he targeted for three years, said she would go off sick to avoid him.

In her statement she said he had "touched every intimate part of me for his gratification. I implore you to sit back and think of those moments".

"Where is your accountability or remorse?"

She added that the memory still "turns my stomach and makes me feel physically sick" and that she was in therapy for trauma and anxiety.

Another woman said she still woke up with night terrors.

"I felt isolated, vulnerable and deeply ashamed," she said.

She said she had begun self-harming to deal with the pain, and that she now found it hard to maintain relationships and engage socially.

'Humiliation'

A number of women spoke of feeling guilt at not speaking up sooner.

One said this had been compounded by the actions of those in charge at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

"I am extremely disappointed in their response to this, they have made me feel partly at fault for not speaking up sooner," she said in her statement.

This was echoed by another woman who said she felt let down by management at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

"They failed to protect me," she said, adding that she felt "a complete lack of support" during the investigation.

The judge, Ian Unsworth KC, said the women had been "incredibly brave, and the impact on them has been profound".

Addressing Bose, Judge Unsworth said he did not feel the former surgeon had "any genuine remorse to victims or survivors", to whom he had brought "degradation and humiliation".

He told him: "You used your exalted position to facilitate your sexual offending, the reality is that you were a sexual predator hiding in plain sight".

'Tragic'

Defending Bose, Tom Price KC said he realised that Bose had put his victims through the ordeal of a trial but that his client had only fully realised their true hurt in court.

"He is a man who up until this period had devoted his life to public service," he said.

The court heard that the former surgeon was now working as a parcel delivery man.

"He has gone from the top of the pecking order to the bottom," Mr Bose said.

Judge Unsworth acknowledged that Bose was a highly skilled surgeon who had been held in high regard by his colleagues.

But he said this simply served to make his offending "all the more tragic".

Bose was given six years with at least half to be served in prison and will also be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Maggie Oldham, chief executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said "our thoughts remain with all those affected" and thanked staff for their "bravery and courage" through the investigation and trial.

She said the trust had cooperated with police throughout the investigation, adding Bose had not worked at the trust since December 2022.

"We have been truly shocked and saddened by the experiences of the victims, and we will now be supporting all colleagues as we move forward together."