Cardiologist asked Northampton patient to excite herself during examination to raise heart rate

A heart doctor faces being struck off after asking a woman to sexually excite herself during a medical examination at Northampton General Hospital... three years after asking the same thing of a different patient.
The doctor was a locum cardiologist working at NGH when the allegations were made in 2017The doctor was a locum cardiologist working at NGH when the allegations were made in 2017
The doctor was a locum cardiologist working at NGH when the allegations were made in 2017

A tribunal heard that locum cardiologist Dr Nilesh Jagjivan made the lewd suggestion of Miss A, who was a medical student and was shadowing him, after he had offered to examine her for an irregular heartbeat.

Once inside a consultation room, Jagjivan asked her to get fully undressed then touched, stroked and kissed the student during the course of several minutes despite her saying "no" a number of times.

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But it also emerged during the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing that Miss A's evidence - relating to April 2017 - contained detail "strikingly similar" to an incident in Leicester in 2013.

The doctor was a locum cardiologist working at NGH when the allegations were made in 2017The doctor was a locum cardiologist working at NGH when the allegations were made in 2017
The doctor was a locum cardiologist working at NGH when the allegations were made in 2017

Miss A told the panel that "Dr Jagjivan had suggested she excite herself sexually to induce arrhythmia which could be medically measured".

The tribunal noted an incident involving 'Patient B' in 2013, when he asked her to do the same thing to raise her heart rate. Jagjivan was brought before a tribunal as a result, but the panel believed his behaviour had not been sexually motivated on that occasion and did not impose sanctions.

The High Court later found his behaviour towards Patient B was sexually motivated, but he was not banned from being a doctor. However, he was ordered to have a chaperone present when examining women.

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Yesterday, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found that Jagjivan had touched Miss A's breasts and put his hand up her skirt.

After the echocardiogram, he also tried to stop her leaving then suggested they go separate ways to avoid security cameras.

Finding impairment, chair of the panel Sara Fenoughty said: "His behaviour not only breached fundamental tenets of the medical profession, but was also morally culpable, and brought disgrace upon Dr Jagjivan himself, whilst also prejudicing the reputation of the wider medical profession."

Any sanctions to be brought against Jagjivan are due to be decided today (Tuesday).

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