A Scots heart surgeon who was convicted of harassing and assaulting a woman is facing a ban from his profession.
Dr Vincenzo Giordano, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, was charged with assaulting his female victim to her injury on November 12, 2022. He was convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on November 28 the same year.
The court heard how Giordano, 44, followed the woman before going on to assault her. The extent and detail of her injuries is unknown.
Giordano was handed an absolute discharge for his crime, which is a court sentence that releases a criminal without punishment and closes the case. He was also issued with a non-harassment order for a period of 12 months, preventing him from approaching or contacting the victim in any way.
Giordano, who lives in Edinburgh, is now due to appear before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing later this month. The case involving the doctor’s misconduct will be heard before a panel, where they will decide whether or not he is fit to remain practicing in the UK and whether his registration should be restricted.
The hearing will take place on January 13 and is expected to last until January 21.
A statement on the MPTS website reads: “The tribunal will inquire into the allegation that, on November 28, 2022 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Dr Giordano was issued with an absolute discharge in respect of an assault on Miss A on November 12, 2022. It is also alleged that Dr Giordano was issued with a non-harassment order for a period of 12 months, preventing him from approaching or contacting Miss A in any way.
“It is further alleged that, following the assault on November 12, 2022, Dr Giordano followed Miss A and further assaulted her.”
According to Giordano’s LinkedIn, the doctor began working at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh as a cardiac surgeon in 2012. He was promoted to a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon in September 2015 and has remained in the role since.
His profile states that he is a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon with special interest in aortic surgery at NHS Lothian. Giordano studied medicine and cardiac surgery at universities in Italy before moving to the UK in 2017.
NHS Lothian declined to comment as the health board said it does not comment on individual employees.
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