A GP accused of serious misconduct while acting as a trainee doctor in a Bingley surgery was cleared by a medical tribunal yesterday.
Dr Cherian Varghese was acting as a GP registrar in November 2011, when a female patient accused him of trying to kiss her and carrying out an unnecessary examination of her breasts.
A report by an independent panel from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found that although Dr Varghese had asked the patient for a hug and pulled her closer to him, "at no stage was there clear evidence that what happened was sexually charged and motivated."
The panel ruled that Dr Varghese had "experienced a wholly unexpected and overwhelming reaction triggered by unanticipated comments by the patient."
The report stated that while Dr Varghese's actions represented a "serious departure from expected standards" and justified a finding of misconduct, the panel was satisfied that he was not "highly likely to repeat the misconduct or damage the reputation of the profession in future," and dismissed the serious misconduct charge.
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