Harley Street doctor, Dr Andrew Thillainayagam, who treated the late Bee Gees member Robin Gibb for cancer, has been cleared of sexual misconduct.

Allegations

The allegations against him were brought to the attention of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, but were not substantiated. Dr. Andrew Thillainayagam was investigated by police following allegations of sexual assault by a woman who claimed that during a consultation in 2007, he instructed her to remove all her clothes except her bra and then sexually assaulted her.

Initially, the patient did not report the alleged incident. However, in 2017, she brought the allegations to the attention of officials at the London Clinic, where Dr. Thillainayagam has a private practice. The woman later also reported the incident to the police. The allegations were subsequently investigated, but no evidence was found to support them and Dr. Thillainayagam has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Investigation

It is believed that detectives conducted an investigation into the doctor and decided not to take any action against him. However, the doctor was reported to the General Medical Council in 2018.

Dr. Andrew Thillainayagam, a consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist, faced the possibility of being struck off due to allegations of sexual misconduct.

No evidence

The allegations were brought to the attention of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, but were not substantiated. The tribunal found no evidence to support the allegations and cleared Dr. Thillainayagam of any wrongdoing.

The doctor, who qualified in Manchester in 1984 and became a Consultant Physician at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London in 1996, has maintained his innocence throughout the process. He has been practicing medicine at The London Clinic in Harley Street since 1998.

The alleged incident took place on January 27, 2007, when a patient (referred to as Ms. A) requested treatment for an undisclosed condition. Ms. A claimed that the doctor instructed her to remove all of her clothing except her bra and then placed his finger under the band of her bra and asked if it came off. Ms.

The complainant also alleged that the doctor conducted an examination of her hips while she was naked from the waist down, placed his finger near her intimate region without clinical justification, and failed to offer her a chaperone.

Witness statement

In his witness statement, Dr. Thillainayagam stated that he could not recall treating Ms. A due to the passage of time, but that he would have placed his hand inside her underwear to check for an inguinal hernia if he had treated her.

The Tribunal recognized that Ms. A had a valid reason for delaying her complaint, but also acknowledged that this meant that Dr. Thillainayagam was being asked to account for his actions a decade or more after the consultation, which put him at a disadvantage.

Ms. A claimed that she was instructed to remove all of her clothing except her underwear and then told to take off her knickers as well, while Dr. Thillainayagam stated that he only asks patients to remove what is necessary and does not request that they remove their underwear.

Without any independent evidence, the Tribunal concluded that the General Medical Council had not proven its case against Dr. Thillainayagam.