A transplant surgeon accused of sexually harassing and inappropriately touching four colleagues said he tickled an intern “in the waist area.”
James Gilbert, 47, said the tickling happened when the woman, known as Mrs E, was alone and without her consent, but he did it in what he considered to be “a fun and friendly relationship”.
Gilbert told a court panel: “My memory was that I tickled her around the waist area. It was something that at that time I remember doing to several people, men and women.
“Silly joke, joke. Nothing more than that.”
He also admitted grabbing and massaging Ms E’s shoulders in the operating room to “relax” her before the operations.
In addition to being accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching at the Oxford Transplant Center, the doctor also allegedly made racist comments and abused his senior position on several dates between 2009 and 2022.
The father of two said he has “never had any desire” to sexually touch anyone in the workplace.
And he said his only thoughts about sex were “exclusively at home with my wife of 26 years.”
Chloe Hudson, of the General Medical Council, asked Mr Gilbert whether it was a “simple coincidence” that another intern – known as Mrs A – had said he grabbed her waist too and ran his hands up and down her body, from her hips to her bra line.
Gilbert responded, “I never tickled or touched Ms. A at any time.”
Ms Hudson said: “Ms A remembers pushing you and telling you to get off her.”
Gilbert told the hearing: “I was never pushed or ignored by her, nor was I told to get off her. Those are the kinds of things I would remember.”
Underwear Talk
Giving evidence to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel in Manchester, the doctor admitted he asked Ms E during a “one-off conversation” between colleagues whether she wore matching underwear.
He said: “There were times in the operating room when conversations about underwear occurred, and I was part of that and I regret it. It was foolish and inappropriate, and I apologize for that.”
He also said organ retrievals would lead to “joking” conversations about consultants “always needing spare underwear” when they could become “soaked” during such procedures.
Ms E claimed she was subjected to comments about her underwear “half a dozen times”, including when they were alone on a staircase, the court heard.
Gilbert said: “I have never had any sexualized thoughts about colleagues in the workplace. My sexualized thoughts have been exclusively at home with my wife of 26 years.”
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‘Knees knock all the time’, says surgeon
Gilbert denied that he had a sexual motivation in touching Ms. E’s knees under the operating table and denied that he had ever squeezed her thigh between his thighs.
He told the court: “I accept that I hit her knees and many other people.”
He added: “You can’t see under the table. Knees knock all the time. I’m quite a tall guy and I know I’m taking up a lot of space under the table.”
The doctor said: “I never squeezed her leg between my legs or my knees, I never wanted to touch anyone. I was completely focused on doing surgery for these patients.”
Gilbert denies misconduct. The hearing continues on Tuesday.
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