Surgeon who claimed ‘flirting’ and ‘banter’ found guilty of 12 counts of sexual assault

The trial at Preston Crown Court was told that Bose, who was the head of cardiovascular surgery, was “the root cause of a toxic and sexualised culture” at the hospital. He was accused of touching women inappropriately and making sexualised comments, it was reported.

Bose’s actions, which he claimed to be ‘only flirting’ and ‘banter’, caused some members of staff to avoid him by changing their roles, work patterns or calling in sick, the court was told.
 
Bose was found guilty of 12 of the 14 charges brought against him in relation to five women at the hospital.

Leigh Day’s head of abuse claims Alison Millar has welcomed Bose’s conviction, saying it is a positive step forwards in tackling workplace cultures which allow sexual assault and harassment to continue under the guise of ‘banter’.  

She said:

“It may be difficult operationally to exclude NHS staff in specialist roles, but no one should have to put up with harassment at work. If there is a culture of tolerance, as it appears was the case here, this can also have consequences for recruitment and retention, as well as the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues who have to work with the perpetrator.

"As someone who has conducted multiple injury claims for people affected by workplace sexual violence, the impact of such behaviour must not be minimised.

“I commend the bravery of the colleagues who came forward to report Bose and cooperate with the criminal proceedings to bring him to justice, which will not have been at all easy for them.”

Bose is due to be sentenced on 15 September 2025.