The Health Secretary is set to probe a Harley Street gynaecologist who called for a London borough to be ‘Jew free’ after a tribunal found he was not racist but ‘comfortable with discriminatory language’.
Dr Dimitrios Psaroudakis, a consultant gynecologist, was suspended by the General Medical Council for three months after making a number of racially offensive, sexist and derogatory remarks about his colleagues and patients.
The Harley Street gynaecologist, who worked at The Evewell fertility clinic, referred to Jewish colleagues as ‘leprechaun’, ‘alky’, s**t for brains’ and ‘big nose’ in messages sent to a colleague (Ms A) via email and Microsoft Teams between 2020 and 2022.
But as his ban is due to end in a matter of weeks, former Conservative attorney general Sir Michael Ellis called for a review of the tribunal’s ‘grossly unreasonable decision’ before he is allowed back to work.
And Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has pledged to look into the dilemma ‘with great urgency and great care’.
Dr Dimitrios Psaroudakis, (pictured) a consultant gynecologist, was suspended by the General Medical Council for three months after making a number of racially offensive, sexist and derogatory remarks about his colleagues and patients
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has pledged to look into the dilemma ‘with great urgency and great care’
Expressing his fears in the Commons, the Northampton North MP said: ‘I am concerned that this doctor may be a danger to Jewish patients.
‘I am also concerned that the tribunal is defective and its decision is grossly unreasonable.’
Dr Psaroudakis told the tribunal he used the term ‘Yew’ or ‘Yewish’ in the messages replacing the ‘J’ of Jewish with a ‘Y’, because of his accent.
Dr Psaroudakis resigned from his role in September 2022 and his suspension came into force in mid-January 2024, around 14 months later.
The three-month suspension means Dr Psaroudakis will be able to practice again from April this year.
Responding to Sir Michael, Atkins said: ‘I sincerely thank my right hon. and learned Friend for raising this issue. As the Prime Minister set out on the steps of Downing Street last week, there are people whose ideology and dogma are in direct conflict with our country’s shared values.
‘Just as we will not stand for that across the country, nor will I stand for it in our NHS.
‘I have already written to NHS England and regulators, setting out their responsibilities and our expectations of them, and I can assure my Right Hon. and learned Friend that I will be looking into this issue with great urgency and great care.’
Former Conservative attorney general Sir Michael Ellis (pictured) called for a review of the tribunal’s ‘grossly unreasonable decision’ before he is allowed back to work
The tribunal heard that Dr Psaroudakis joked about the death of a patient’s husband, who took his own life, saying that ‘he smelled her shoes?’, referring to the patient.
Dr Psaroudakis made reference to a telephone call between himself and Ms A in which he took her to say the patient’s husband had ‘passed out’, when she in fact had said ‘passed away’.
However, the tribunal had no evidence of any such phone call and did not accept the consultant’s explanation.
It said such comments from a medical professional about a patient’s husband killing themselves were ‘appalling, disrespectful and morally reprehensible.’
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service concluded: ‘The evidence suggested that it was Dr Psaroudakis’ common practice to pick out and use what could be considered offensive or derogatory characteristics about people whom he did not like or get along with, and liberally use those terms to describe them.
‘Rather than use someone’s name or work title, Dr Psaroudakis preferred to make unpleasant and unacceptable references to protected characteristics of colleagues.
‘The Tribunal makes no finding that Dr Psaroudakis is a racist but is satisfied that he is someone who is quite comfortable with using discriminatory language.’
Some of the sexually explicit messages referred to ‘lube’ and ‘gregging’ — a sexual act involving a hat, while one sexist email read: ‘if we hire another woman I’m going to kill myself’.
A Harley Street sign is pictured on January 15, in London, England
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service said a three-month suspension reflected the ‘level of seriousness of the misconduct’ and ‘would send out a message to the doctor, the profession and to the public that such conduct is unacceptable’.
It said: ‘Dr Psaroudakis admitted his wrongdoing, made full admissions to the allegation, and has taken steps to remediate his actions.
‘He has made genuine expressions of regret, remorse and apology, and not sought to blame others.
‘Dr Psaroudakis self-referred to the GMC and has fully engaged with his regulator and with this process and he cooperated with the GMC by disclosing the emails and messages of his comments when requested. His comments were intended to be private and never meant to be made public.’
Dr Psaroudakis has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
