A former president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians has been banned from working as a doctor for at least year.
Leslie Bolitho was president of the RACP from 2012 until 2014 and has been based in Wangaratta, in regional Victoria, since 1983.
The Medical Board of Australia handed down its decision following complaints made against Bolitho by a group of Royal Melbourne Hospital registrars who were on secondment to Northeast Health in between 2014 and 2018.
The group claimed Bolitho would frequently invade their personal space and touch their bodies, without any regard for their consent.
This included touching one doctor's thigh, and another's bottom on numerous occasions.
When the initial complaints were made in 2019, Bolitho immediately withdrew from his positions at hospitals - including Wangaratta Private Hospital and the Rural Clinical School at the University of Melbourne.
He initially denied key aspects of the conduct and pointed to an alleged conspiracy against him in relation to the investigation.
He continued to work as a doctor in private practice.
Prior to these matters arising, Bolitho had a long and unblemished career.
This week, the Medical Board of Australia released its decision.
It found Bolitho's conduct involved intentional behaviours, carried out for a sexual purpose on two of the junior doctors, and the majority of his behaviour would likely be considered unlawful sexual harassment.
"On each occasion, Dr Bolitho engaged in conduct with a colleague significantly more junior to him (in age and experience), required to report to and assist him whilst on shift and was on regional placement, away from their usual support structures," VCAT senior member Neill Campbell wrote in his findings.
"In addition to this, many of the women were relatively junior employees, aged in their 20s, including some who were in their first year out of medical school."
Mr Campbell also noted the "significant" power imbalance" between Bolitho and the doctors involved.
"Dr Bolitho’s breaches of physical boundaries indicate that he had a sense of entitlement over the women’s bodies and their personal space," he said.
"Dr Bolitho’s conduct is plainly conduct which is inconsistent with him being a fit and proper person to hold registration as a medical practitioner."
Bolitho recently surrendered his registration with the Medical Board voluntarily, but the board still officially cancelled his registration and banned him from reapplying for 12 months.
He is also banned from providing advice, as an employee, contractor, manager or volunteer and whether directly or indirectly, to any health service.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
