Wigan doctor asked patient 'on a date'

Dr Vishwajeet Kumar, who was an orthopaedic surgeon at Wrightington Hospital but has since left, is in the midst of a tribunal for allegations of misconduct after he reportedly asked his patient out on a date during a consultation.

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The hearing, which is currently being conducted by the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal Service in Manchester, has been told how the 44-year-old made a number of flirtatious comments during a patient consultation.

The allegations - some of which have been admitted by Dr Kumar - date back to a consultation in February 2017 and to the days following the meeting.

A panel must decide whether his actions were sexually motivated.

It has been alleged that the dad-of-one put his patient’s foot on his mid-thigh and held it there for “longer than needed”.

Dr Kumar has already owned up to making a number of comments during the same consultation, calling the woman a “lovely lady” and saying that she had a “lovely smile”.

A document released detailing the claims against the surgeon, says: “You failed to maintain a professional boundary between yourself and Patient A, in that you: held Patient A’s foot on your right mid-thigh for longer than needed; and said to Patient A words to the effect of “can I just say what a lovely lady you are?” “You’ve got a lovely smile,” “you’ve made my day,” and “you’re my last patient of the day”.

The doctor has also been accused of asking the patient to “get some lunch” or “go for a coffee”, but this is yet to be determined.

As well as the inappropriate comments, Dr Kumar admitted to hugging the patient with both arms during the consultation.

The tribunal will now have to decide whether the surgeon’s fitness to practise is impaired.