Nurses complained over 'Wonderbra' doctor

AN anaesthetist accused of touching his patients’ breasts had previously been warned about behaving inappropriately with nurses, a hearing was told.

Dr Stephen Graham, 54, is accused of cupping the breasts of four patients while they were anaesthetised. On one occasion he joked about his “Wonderbra” technique, the General Medical Council has heard.

Dr Graham had been spoken to about his conduct with nurses at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough in 2007, a fitness to practise panel was told yesterday. Dr David Ryall, a consultant anaesthetist and clinical director at the hospital, said that Sister Elaine Phoenix told him that some of the junior nursing staff had “expressed concern about the way Dr Graham interacted with them”.

“He touched them inappropriately and while they did not want to make a formal complaint, [she] asked me to speak to him about it,” said Dr Ryall.

He said that when he tackled Dr Graham over the issue at a half-hour meeting “he appeared very surprised”.

“He did not really seem to understand what he may have done that had given rise to the allegations,” added Dr Ryall.

The clinical director said he advised the anaesthetist not to touch the nurses “at all under any circumstances” and not to do or say anything that could be “interpreted as inappropriate”.

Dr Graham was also warned if there was any repetition of the alleged incident then there would have to be formal disciplinary procedures.

Dr Graham, of Seamer, near Middlesbrough, denies misconduct. The hearing continues.