NHS doctor told junior GP she 'looked like Beyonce' and insisted on rating her work clothes

23 November 2022, 19:57

An NHS doctor has been suspended after becoming infatuated with a female colleague and telling her she reminded him of Beyoncé.

Dr Raviraj Karkera, who was at the Verwood Surgery in Dorset, told a junior doctor that she had "hair like Beyoncé" and that she should "let it down" and "work it".

He also told the woman that he could not stop thinking about her, blaming mistakes he made at work on thoughts about her keeping him up at night, according to an employment tribunal.

He also insisted on rating her clothes on another occasion, telling her that one outfit was "functional but not wow".

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The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel said some of Dr Karkera's behaviour between November and December 2019 was "sexually motivated in pursuit of a sexual relationship".

He has been suspended from working for a doctor for four months, although he retired in October ahead of the tribunal.

Dr Karkera, who worked at the surgery from 1998, reportedly have wiped the woman's face with his hand, and said: "Now you are back to perfect."

He also pulled her hair out of her bun, telling her she should "let [her] hair down and work it."

Dr Karkera took a photo without the woman's permission, and told her she had "impressive Beyonce style hair work".

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He later invited the woman to his office for a coffee and said he wanted to begin rating her outfits, the tribunal heard.

He said: "What you're wearing today is functional but not wow.

"I want to set you a challenge every Monday to wear something that's more wow and I can rate your outfits."

When the woman left, he was said to have called her "selfish".

The tribunal found that Dr Karkera was "infatuated" with his colleague and that "in the absence of any other credible explanation his actions cannot have been anything other than sexually motivated in pursuit of a sexual relationship".

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His actions had "a significant negative impact on his colleague", the tribunal heard, although it was noted he posed a low risk to patients.

In a farewell message to his former colleagues, Dr Karkera said: "It has been my pleasure and privilege to have been a General Practitioner in Verwood and the surrounding areas for the past 24 years and a medical career which started in 1986, the time has certainly flown by.

"I have been lucky to have been supported by our wonderful staff and fellow GPs."