A DOCTOR has kept his job despite groping a paramedic whilst high on GHB and Viagra.

Dr Lauri Kriisa, from Stockton-on-Tees, joined the department of anaesthesia and intensive care at University Hospital of North Tees in January 2018, initially as a locum speciality doctor, before accepting a substantive post in May 2018, covering the operating theatres and the intensive care and obstetrics wards.

A hearing before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) was told that in August 2018, whilst receiving medical treatment from a paramedic with the North East Ambulance Service, the doctor dragged the paramedic onto his bed after she was called to treat him for a suspected overdose.

Dr Kriisa grabbed, attempted to kiss and licked the paramedic’s neck.

The victim said: “Dr Kriisa didn’t verbalise anything apart from the ‘ooh ooh’ noises. He did not appear coherent; his eyes were glazed. He didn’t appear shocked that paramedics were in this bedroom and I’m not sure he was aware of what he was doing, I think he thought we were there for a sex party.

“I felt slightly violated, felt dirty and just wanted to go home and scrub myself. I had been dragged into a bed where sexual activity had recently taken place and I just wanted to go home.”

Tribunal chairman Kenneth Hamer said Dr Kriisa had been drinking at home and was on an online dating app before the incident.

He took a taxi to the home of a man he had met for the first time that evening online and there they engaged in drinking and sexual activity.

The Estonian-born consultant anaesthetist claimed his actions were not sexually motivated and he was not aware of what he was doing.

He said that his last memory was of drinking alcohol and watching Youtube with the man he met on the dating app.

Dr Kriisa claimed he could not remember if there were any drugs at the location, although he agreed he must have taken ‘some drugs’.

The tribunal concluded that it was not sufficiently demonstrated that during any period when Dr Kriisa regained consciousness his conduct towards the paramedic was sexually motivated.

On behalf of the GMC, lawyer Thomas Moran submitted that Dr Kriisa’s actions, whilst not sexually motivated, do amount to misconduct.

He submitted that Dr Kriisa put a paramedic undertaking a difficult job and providing emergency care through a very unpleasant experience, leaving them feeling vulnerable and violated.

Mr Moran submitted that Dr Kriisa, in pursuit of his own pleasure, took the risk of going to a stranger’s house to drink alcohol in the early hours of the morning on a day he knew he was scheduled to work a night shift and had not arranged someone to cover for him.

The panel concluded he was too intoxicated to realise what he was doing and he was suspended for one month.