A doctor who "grabbed the buttocks" of a female colleague has been allowed back to work after a tribunal review.

Dr Arvind Singh, previously an associate specialist in anaesthesia with Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), was suspended for a year in July 2023 after a tribunal found his actions to amount to "serious misconduct".

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal last year heard that, in July 2020, Dr Singh had walked up behind a female colleague at Queen's Hospital, 'Ms A', and "grabbed her buttocks with both of his hands".

This was while Ms A was addressing a daily meeting - in front of around 15 other members of staff.

The hearing decision document said that this was found to be done without her consent and was "sexually motivated".

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It added: "The 2023 Tribunal considered that Dr Singh’s actions towards Ms A were disrespectful and humiliated her in front of her colleagues, and undermined her authority while she was briefing them for the day."

However, a tribunal review on August 21 found that Dr Singh was now fit to practise again, and his suspension was revoked with "immediate effect".

The review concluded that the 12-month suspension was enough to promote "proper professional standards" and maintain "public confidence" in the medical profession.

Although Dr Singh was judged as fit to practise again, a spokesperson from BHRUT confirmed that he will not be returning to Queen's Hospital, or the Trust as a whole.

The tribunal decision document said: "The Tribunal was satisfied that Dr Singh has remediated his misconduct through targeted courses, in depth reflection and by seeking counsel from others.

"His level of insight is now sufficient, and the Tribunal has concluded that the risk of repetition is very low."

It added: "Further, the public would be deprived of an otherwise able and competent doctor."

Despite acknowledging that Ms A had been "traumatised" by the incident, Dr Singh maintained that it was an "accident" and continued to deny the 2023 Tribunal's findings that his conduct was sexually motivated.

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The tribunal review heard that Dr Singh "thought about the events every day" and that the regulatory proceedings had affected both him and his family.

He said that he had completed three different courses about sexual harassment on the 'Alison' website.

However, a representative from the General Medical Council (GMC) submitted that Dr Singh had shown "little insight and remediation" into his actions - and that it was up to the doctor himself to demonstrate that he had developed "proper insight" and was safe to return to work.

Dr Singh promised the tribunal that "it would never happen again".