NHS Recruitment Failures Exposed as Doctors Under Investigation Secure Hospital Jobs in Kent and Sussex

Serious concerns have been raised over NHS recruitment and patient safety after an ITV News investigation revealed that doctors facing allegations of sexual misconduct and poor clinical care were able to secure hospital jobs in Kent and Sussex.

The investigation, published on 10 November, found that 45 doctors continued working in NHS hospitals between 2020 and 2025 without suspension or restrictions on their practice while being investigated for alleged sexual misconduct, including rape, sexual assault and harassment. A further 43 doctors were referred to interim orders tribunals, which can impose restrictions or suspensions.

Among the cases highlighted was surgeon James Gilbert, who secured locum work at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after being dismissed from an Oxford hospital following allegations of sexual harassment. Gilbert was subsequently suspended from medical practice for 12 months but was later permitted to return to unrestricted practice following a tribunal review.

In Kent, breast surgeon Thatipalli Gopal Mahadev was appointed to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford despite being under investigation by the General Medical Council (GMC) over concerns about his clinical care. He failed to disclose the investigation during recruitment, while the hospital trust acknowledged that it had not contacted his previous NHS employer, which could have alerted it to concerns about his practice.

The investigation also examined the case of former children’s doctor Salman Siddiqi, who worked at East Kent Hospitals despite previously receiving a police caution for indecent exposure. He was subsequently jailed in 2023 for child sexual offences and removed from the medical register.

University Hospitals Sussex acknowledged that it had not initially received all the information expected during Gilbert’s recruitment and that further enquiries should have been made. The trust said it had since strengthened its recruitment procedures.

East Kent Hospitals said doctors undergo pre-employment checks in line with national requirements and that recruitment processes had been strengthened following the cases identified.

The GMC stressed that sexual misconduct has no place in healthcare and said it seeks removal from the medical register where serious sexual misconduct is established. It also confirmed that employers can contact the regulator for information about doctors under investigation.

The findings have prompted renewed calls for stronger background checks, improved information-sharing between NHS trusts and greater accountability to protect patients and healthcare staff.

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