Top Heart Surgeon Struck Off for Sexual Misconduct at Newcastle Hospital

Fabrizio De Rita, a top heart surgeon known for performing lifesaving operations on children, has been struck off the medical register for sexually harassing and groping a colleague at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found De Rita guilty of serious professional misconduct, which included inappropriate gestures, pulling a colleague's chair towards him, and grabbing her breast.

The tribunal validated most of the allegations against De Rita, except for one alleged gesture and the sending of messages. Following a complaint, De Rita was suspended by the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust.

The tribunal determined that his actions were fundamentally incompatible with his continued practice as a doctor. Chair Debi Gould stated, "His failure to respect the dignity of another colleague amounted to sexual harassment." She added that De Rita's conduct was "the only necessary, appropriate, and proportionate sanction that it could impose given the seriousness of the misconduct, the lack of insight and remediation shown, and the high risk of repetition that remained."

De Rita, who had worked at the hospital for over ten years, was accused of sexually harassing the woman over eight months. His actions included making inappropriate gestures, pulling her chair towards him in a meeting room, sending WhatsApp messages, 'pinging her bra strap,' and grabbing her left breast.

This behavior was described as sexually motivated and an abuse of his position as a senior surgeon in the prestigious cardiothoracic department.

The case also highlights broader issues within the hospital's cardiothoracic department, such as sexism, bullying, and sexually inappropriate behavior.

A damning Care Quality Commission inspection report in January found a "long-standing history of concerns about the culture" in the department.

After De Rita was struck off, a spokesman for the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust said, "All of our staff have the right to feel safe and supported at work, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to any unwanted, inappropriate, or harmful sexual behaviors towards staff."