GP Thomas Plimmer who had sex at his Swindon surgery during working hours is struck off

A doctor who had sex with several women at his GP surgery - but blamed it on sex addiction - has been struck off the medical register.

Cambridge-educated Thomas Plimmer, 40, was found guilty of several misconduct charges at a tribunal with a panel ruling his ability to practice had been 'impaired.'. The tribunal returned on Tuesday to deliver his sanctions and although he claimed his actions were a result of a 'medical condition,' the panel ruled they were 'incompatible' with the profession.

The hearing was earlier told he had regular sex sessions at work when he should have been treating patients. He faced accusations from half a dozen complainants - including one colleague who had claimed their weekly sex meetings at the practice in Swindon, Wiltshire, were 'unwanted' and sometimes forced.

The woman - referred to as Miss A - had told the tribunal she was 'groomed' into regular intercourse with Dr Plimmer at his surgery and said felt used as a 'sex object' to help his boredom.

Giving evidence at the Medical Practioners Tribunal, Dr Plimmer said all their acts were consensual - and argued the context of everything that took place was centred around his sex addiction. He also maintained that he had been working on his 'medical condition' and argued his risk of relapse was small.

The tribunal found the case against Dr Plimmer was "proved and determined" in relation to some of the counts and "not proven" in relation to others.

Tribunal chair Claire Lindley said "Dr Plimmer, we have considered your case carefully and listened to submissions on your behalf. However, the tribunal has decided your misconduct is incompatible with being a doctor and therefore the decision made is to erase your name from the medical register. That determination will now be handed down by the clerk."

Ms Lindley later added that the suspension from the register would be immediate. The tribunal had earlier ruled proven allegations were sending an unsolicited video of himself to Miss A engaging in sexual intercourse with another woman whilst at work, had his trousers undone, put her hand on his erect penis over clothes and masturbated in front of her.

The tribunal said allegations of kissing, touching, taking out his penis in front of her and two allegations of penetration, all without consent, were not proved. Threats to disclose information to her husband, slamming a door to hit her arm were also not proved.

The tribunal said the doctor at some point knew Miss A was vulnerable and said an allegation she should visit a 'Futurama' suicide booth was also found proved. Abusing a more senior position and using his power over her were found not to be proved.

In relation to another women - known as Miss B - the doctor had already admitted engaging in oral sex with her in the GP surgery during working hours. He had also accepted having sexual intercourse with a further complainant Miss C during working hours as well.

He had earlier admitted sending another woman - Miss E - an unsolicited photo of his penis, taken whilst at work, on two different occasions.

In a conversation with Miss D it was also found proven he had threatened Miss F saying “if that c**t takes me to the GMC I’ll slit her throat. I know where she lives” or words to that effect.

He had already admitted many of the allegations were sexually motivated. During the hearing itself, Dr Plimmer had tried to blame many of his actions on a 'sex addiction. He said: "Seeking out sexual activity felt like a need, and I did lie in order to get that need met, and I was not honest with people to get that need met

"But there was no sense of me enjoying this because I like lying, or it gives me power, or it gives me control, they were all byproducts of trying to meet my need."

He also acknowledged: "I was a doctor absolutely, and I have a responsibility to be professional and to act in a way that upholds the standards of the profession, and I fell well short of that on many occasions.

"But I never really felt as though I played on that, or used that as a method to pursue people. I am sincerely apologetic to everyone I've lied to, and the consequences it had towards patients and not being there to care for them. I feel immense shame for everything I did."

The doctor was accused by Mark Monaghan, presenting the case on behalf of the General Medical Council, of "manipulating" people with "charms and lies and anything else in your armoury."

A total of six women had lodged the complaints. Giving her evidence earlier in the tribunal, Miss A, outlined how she felt 'groomed' by the doctor into becoming a "sex object for a sex addict."

And she told the hearing she would 'bear the scars" for life after what she says he did to her. She said Dr Plimmer would only target "vulnerable" woman and claimed his perversions were all about "power."

Miss A argued everything she was said to have "consented" to was "coerced" and added: "I was very compliant at the time. I don't deny this, but how I ended up in that role is different," she added. She said it was "no coincidence" he chose "vulnerable" victims to "amuse him."

"He knew he was in a position of power," she added. "We had had other conversations about my isolation and the way I responded to people. Then when I said no to touching me, he did. I said no to penetration and he did. What he likes is power. This is all about power."

Miss A added: "As a man in a position of power to me it was completely ingrained, it was self-protection, it was easier to do what you are asked. Those scars will be there forever - it has completely impacted my life."

The tribunal examined allegations that during the period May 2018 to September 2019, Plimmer behaved in a sexually motivated way towards Miss A, whom he knew to be vulnerable. It was alleged that between January to June 2020 and in February 2021, he behaved in a sexually motivated way towards four other women. It was further alleged that in March 2021, he made a threat towards another woman.

The tribunal earlier heard the doctor went on to invite two women he met on dating sites to the surgery where he engaged in sex acts with them during working hours.

On a separate occasion, he was also accused of sending unsolicited pictures of genitals that were 'taken at work' to another women he met on a dating site. Chair of the tribunal Claire Lindley has now ruled that the Plimmer’s suspension from the doctor's register should be 'immediate'.

Closing the hearing she added: "It is necessary to put in place an immediate order of suspension."

The full ruling will be published at a later date.