NHS trust publishes review of rapist surgeon case

The allegations against Salil Korambayil first came to light while he was employed at North Devon District Hospital

A review into how an NHS trust handled allegations against a trainee surgeon later convicted of rape and misusing patient data has published a series of recommendations.

Salil Korambayil, 32, was jailed in December 2023 for raping two women in their Devon and Cornwall homes after he pursued them online.

The report was commissioned by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (RDHT) and made recommendations including better training for staff to spot warning signs, and improved guidance for managers about handling alleged criminal offences.

A statement from the trust said the report showed its response was "comprehensive and had been well considered" overall.

Allegations not reported

It said: "This was an appalling criminal case in which Korambayil fundamentally abused the trust we all place in healthcare professionals."

The allegations first came to light in August 2020 while Korambayil was employed at North Devon District Hospital, part of RDHT.

They were escalated to managers at the trust, who informally suspended Korambayil until October 2020 when he moved to the Royal Cornwall NHS Trust, as part of a pre-planned rotation.

The independent report, which was carried out by Carole Taylor-Brown, praised the trust's "multidisciplinary approach", saying it had "complied with its own policies" and regulatory requirements.

However, it also highlighted several shortcomings, including a failure to report the allegations to police when they first came to light, as well as not referring the case for internal safeguarding.

The report made five key recommendations including improving guidance available to managers, establishing key principals about internal communication, and reviewing safeguards to protect patient records from inappropriate access.

The trust said it accepted the report's recommendations in full.

It said: "This case highlights the importance of zero tolerance to inappropriate behaviour and harassment, and through our Sexual Safety Charter and Freedom to Speak Up Guardians we are encouraging our staff to feel safe to speak up and report concerns."