A Scottish heart surgeon, Dr Vincenzo Giordano, who was found guilty of harassing and assaulting a woman, has escaped a ban from his profession. Dr Giordano, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, faced charges for assaulting his victim on November 12, 2022, and was later convicted in Edinburgh Sheriff Court on November 28 of the same year. Despite the conviction, the 44-year-old Italian surgeon was granted an absolute discharge, which means he was released without any punishment, but he did receive a 12-month non-harassment order.
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) conducted a hearing to assess Dr Giordano’s fitness to practice and determined that his practice was impaired. As a result, the tribunal decided to suspend his registration for two months. The suspension is set to begin 28 days after Dr Giordano, who resides in Edinburgh, is formally notified of the decision. The court heard that Dr Giordano had followed his female victim and subsequently assaulted her by headbutting and punching her.
The non-harassment order, which was in place for a year, prohibited Dr Giordano from contacting or approaching the victim in any way. The MPTS panel acknowledged that an immediate ban was not necessary to protect the public in this case and decided against imposing such a restriction. The panel stated that an immediate ban was not in the best interests of the public or Dr Giordano. While the panel concluded that Dr Giordano’s fitness to practice was impaired, they chose not to enforce a ban on his medical profession.
Dr Giordano, as per his LinkedIn profile, specialises in aortic surgery and has been a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh since 2015. Before relocating to the UK, he pursued his medical and cardiac surgery studies in Italy. NHS Lothian declined to comment, citing a policy of not discussing individual employees. The full details of the MPTS hearing regarding Dr Giordano’s fitness to practice will be made public within 28 days from the conclusion of the hearing.
**Summary:**
Dr Vincenzo Giordano, a consultant heart surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, avoided a ban from his profession despite being convicted of assaulting a woman. The decision came after a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing found his practice to be impaired. This case highlights the complexities and considerations involved in maintaining professional standards within the medical field, particularly in cases involving criminal convictions.