A transplant surgeon accused of sexually harassing and inappropriately touching four female colleagues has said he tickled a trainee “in the waist area”.

James Gilbert, 47, said the tickling happened when the woman, known as Ms E, was alone and without her consent, but he did so in what he thought was “a fun, friendly relationship”.

Mr Gilbert told a tribunal panel: “My memory was I tickled her in the waist area. It was something at that time I recall doing to a number of people, male and female.

“Foolish play, messing around. Nothing more than that.”

He also admitted grabbing and massaging Ms E’s shoulders in the surgical theatre to “relax her” before operations.

As well as being accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching at the Oxford Transplant Centre, the doctor also allegedly made racist comments and abused his senior position on various dates between 2009 and 2022.

The father-of-two stated he “never had any desire” to touch anyone sexually in the workplace.

And he said his only thoughts of sex were “exclusively at home with my wife of 26 years”.

Mr Gilbert was asked by Chloe Hudson, for the General Medical Council, if it was “simply coincidence” that another trainee – known as Ms A – had said he grabbed her waist too, and ran his hands up and down her body, from her hips to her bra line.

Mr Gilbert replied: “I have never tickled or touched Ms A at any time.”

Ms Hudson said: “Ms A recalled pushing you away and telling you to get off her.”

Mr Gilbert told the hearing: “I have never been pushed or shrugged off by her or ever told to get off her. Those are the sort of things I would remember.”

Conversation about underwear

Giving evidence to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel in Manchester, the doctor admitted he had asked Ms E during a “one-off conversation” among colleagues if she was wearing matching underwear.

He said: “There would have been times in the operating room when underwear conversation has occurred, and I was part of this and I regret it. It was foolish and inappropriate, and I apologise for that.”

He also said organ retrievals would lead to “jokey” conversations about consultants “always needing back-up underwear” when they could get “soaked” during such procedures.

Ms E alleged she was subjected to remarks about her underwear “half a dozen times”, including when they were alone on a stairwell, the tribunal heard.

Mr Gilbert said: “I never had any sexualised thoughts about colleagues in the workplace. My sexualised thoughts have been exclusively at home with my wife of 26 years.”

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‘Knees knock all the time’, says surgeon

Mr Gilbert denied he was sexually motivated when touching Ms E’s knees under the operating table, and denied he had ever squeezed her thigh between his thighs.

He told the tribunal: “I accepted I knocked her knees and many other people’s knees.”

He added: “You can’t see underneath the table. Knees knock all the time. I’m a fairly tall fellow and I’m aware I’m taking a lot of space under that table.”

The doctor said: “I have never squeezed her leg between my legs or knees, I have never had any desire to be touching anyone. I was fully focused on doing surgery for these patients.”

Mr Gilbert denies misconduct. The hearing continues on Tuesday.

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