Doctor struck off for sexually harassing colleagues

Dr Steven Roberts was a consultant anaesthetist at Hull Royal Infirmary

A hospital doctor has been struck off for sexually harassing two female colleagues.

Dr Steven Roberts, a consultant anaesthetist at Hull Royal Infirmary, touched both women and "made inappropriate and sexually motivated comments", a disciplinary tribunal found.

The hearing was told Dr Roberts on one or more occasions "made a growling sound" while staring at one of the women's breasts. He also once grabbed her hands and used them to push her breasts upwards.

Dr Roberts, who did not attend the hearing or have legal representation, previously admitted his behaviour was "wrong" and had apologised.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal said Dr Roberts was referred to the General Medical Council (GMC) following an investigation by the hospital trust.

After the doctor put his hands around one of the women's waist in October 2019 she wrote in a witness statement the incident had left her "feeling anxious and sick".

"I also felt uncomfortable and vulnerable when he caught me alone again in the disposal room, because I just wanted to avoid him and didn't want to think about what had happened, because it would upset me and affect my practice," she wrote.

The tribunal found that Dr Roberts' actions had "created an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment for her".

It also determined they were likely "sexually motivated".

'Mucky minded'

In the case of the second woman her witness statement said the doctor made suggestive comments about her new uniform saying "I don't know where to look".

"He looked me up and down and growled when he said this," she said.

"His growl sounded like a dirty minded growl, I felt very uncomfortable."

She added: "He pushed my breasts up with my hands for around 20 seconds".

The woman told a matron immediately after the incident that Dr Roberts' behaviour was "mucky minded" and made her feel uncomfortable.

Dr Roberts said in a statement during the trust investigation: "I wish to apologise again" adding "I never meant to offend or upset her. What I did was wrong and I fully admit that."

In his submission to the tribunal, the GMC's counsel Paul Williams claimed that Dr Roberts' behaviour "amounted to a senior clinician abusing his position of power over junior colleagues."

The panel ruled that his "conduct fell seriously short of the standards of conduct reasonably to be expected of a doctor as to amount to misconduct".

Dr Roberts can appeal against the decision.

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices