Doctor who made terror jibe and showed porn to colleagues escapes ban

A DOCTOR who said a patient sounded like a terrorist and who showed pornography to colleagues has been allowed to continue working in the profession.

Dr Nikolay Tsvetanov Tsakov, 48, told a student a patient ‘sounded like they worked for Al-Qaeda’ while he was a locum doctor at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found that he had brought the profession into ‘disrepute’ but decided not to strike him off.

But the ear, nose and throat consultant must now be supervised for 12 months.

Dr Tsakov no longer works for NHS Fife. He is registered with locum recruitment firm ID Medical and works at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex.

While at the Victoria Hospital in 2016, he told the student to whom he made the AlQaeda remark that he showed patients pictures of himself carrying an air gun.

Dr Tsakov said he had been in trouble for making inappropriate comments and had completed a course to be ‘more PC’.

He was also found to have committed misconduct at other health boards.

While working at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, in October 2017 he said to a pregnant colleague: ‘Is that what happens when you sleep with no knickers on?’

In another incident, the Bulgarian showed images of naked women to female colleagues.

In Northern Ireland in December 2017, he showed a lewd picture of a sex toy on his mobile phone to more women he worked with.

He also told a healthcare assistant she reminded him of ‘a German Nazi with blonde hair and green eyes’.

The tribunal in Manchester heard evidence from colleagues with whom he has worked since the incidents who described him as ‘extremely hard-working’, ‘courteous’ and ‘professional’.

The tribunal acknowledged that Dr Tsakov has taken steps to improve his conduct and had completed courses on boundaries.

Chairman Andrew Lewis said he felt the specialist had difficulty taking his ‘comedic persona’ out of his medical life.

Dr Tsakov expressed regret for his ‘disgraceful’ behaviour.