Family GP 'raped' woman patient

A family GP groped a female patient and raped another during a private clinic session at his home, the General Medical Council (GMC) has heard.

Dr Raja Wannaku-Korale, 65, molested the women on separate occasions while he was working as a locum GP in Wigan, Greater Manchester, it was claimed.

Dr Wannaku-Korale denies a charge of serious professional misconduct.

He sent a message to the GMC via email saying he was in Sri Lanka and was too sick to attend the Manchester hearing.

Suffering depression

He is accused of luring one of the female victims, known only as Ms C, back to his house in Eccles after offering her work making face and body creams.

Once at his house, he pinned the 29-year-old victim down and began to have sex with her until she managed to push him away, the GMC's Fitness to Practise Panel was told.

Dr Wannaku-Korale stood trial charged with rape following the incident, but was cleared after a judge ordered the jury to return not guilty verdicts.

Opening the case for the GMC, Sarah Plaschkes said Dr Wannaku-Korale, formerly of Preston Close, Eccles, started work at the Ince Green Lane surgery as a locum GP in Wigan in 2000.

He began treating Ms C in May 2001 after she visited the surgery suffering depression.

Heart palpitations

Dr Wannaku-Korale admitted during interviews with police to having sex with the woman, but maintained it was consensual.

Ms Plaschkes described how the doctor had examined cancer sufferer Thomas Hesmondhalgh on several occasions during early 1999, but had failed to refer him to hospital despite his condition requiring "urgent specialist investigation".

Only days later he was admitted to hospital and died after less than a month from secondary cancer.

The hearing also heard Wannaku-Korale had groped the breast of a 55-year-old female patient, known as Ms A, who visited the practice on or around 29 March 1999, suffering anxiety and heart palpitations.

The hearing was adjourned until Wednesday.