Queen’s surgeon ‘in racist slur on Muslim medics’
He called them hairy-a***d, tribunal told
THE Queen’s former surgeon ‘bullied, harassed and mobbed’ a colleague and used racial slurs against fellow doctors, a tribunal has heard.
Professor Zygmunt Krukowski allegedly referred to colleagues as ‘hairy-a***d Muslims’ during a meeting with the chief executive of NHS Grampian.
The surgeon has also been accused of raising his voice at a colleague, leaving him ‘shaken’.
Professor Krukowski, who used to oversee the medical care of the Royal Family at Balmoral, strenuously denies the claims, which emerged during a tribunal at which he is claiming unfair dismissal against the health board.
The 70-year-old was suspended from his role at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after a probe was launched into his conduct in 2015.
He was cleared by the General Medical Council (GMC) of any wrongdoing in July 2016, but left the health board shortly afterwards.
A number of allegations were made against him, including bullying and using derogatory racial language towards his colleagues.
On Wednesday, Ian Truscott, QC, counsel for NHS Grampian, told the tribunal that the surgeon’s behaviour could be perceived as ‘unnecessarily blunt’ or ‘insistent’.
Professor Krukowski replied: ‘I try not to be unnecessarily blunt, I do try to be brief.’
Mr Truscott told the panel that the surgeon’s colleagues had claimed there were issues surrounding the absence of a colleague from a weekly meeting – with the reason for the absence given as religious reasons.
Professor Krukowski rejected the QC’s suggestion that he had said ‘some patients were more important than some religions’. He told the hearing he had said: ‘What’s more important? Patients or prayers?’
Mr Truscott also claimed the surgeon used a derogatory phrase – ‘hairy-a***d Muslims’ – while he was speaking to then-chief executive of NHS Grampian, Richard Carey.
However Professor Krukowski said: ‘I have never used that phrase in my life.
‘I would have been astonished that the chief executive of a national board would not take action immediately. I strenuously deny I would use that phrase and I would not be so stupid to use it at a chief executive.’
Mr Truscott went on to describe an occasion when another worker allegedly felt that he was being ‘bullied, harassed and mobbed’ after Professor Krukowski ‘raised his voice’ at him. The QC read from a diary entry saying the surgeon in question was unable to go into theatre after being left ‘shaken’.
Professor Krukowski said: ‘That is a falsehood. He was not scheduled for theatre. We worked and discussed it and I thought we had addressed the issue.’
He added: ‘I lost my temper with him and I was embarrassed and mortified. I have subsequently apologised.’
On the second day of the hearing yesterday, Mr Truscott read out a
‘I was embarrassed and mortified’ ‘I lost my temper with him’
report from the GMC describing Professor Krukowski’s ‘aggressive behaviour’ during a work meeting.
In the document, a colleague claimed he entered the meeting and said ‘who is questioning my authority’, or something similar and went on to act aggressively.
Quoting from one complainer in the report, Mr Truscott said: ‘He was being intimidating and no one wanted to stand up to him in fear he would destroy their careers.’
Professor Krukowski denied saying he would ‘destroy careers .
He told the panel: ‘I embarrassed myself by becoming angry. I should have watched my temper and I apologised at the first opportunity.’
The tribunal continues.