Velmurugan Kuppuswamy
Introduction
Dr Velmurugan Kuppuswamy is a doctor who was struck off — erased from the Medical Register — on 30 January 2026, after a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) tribunal found that his fitness to practise was impaired by reason of misconduct. The tribunal found facts of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment proved, arising from his conduct towards two junior female colleagues, referred to in the determination as Dr A and Dr B. It was the second time he had been removed from the register: he had previously been erased in January 2012, for dishonesty, before being restored in November 2020.
Background Information
The determination concerns Velmurugan Kuppuswamy, a doctor registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) under number 5208761. The MPTS substantive hearing began on 1 September 2025 and ended on 30 January 2026, with the decision dated 30 January 2026.
Dr Kuppuswamy’s regulatory history is central to the case. In January 2012 he was erased from the Medical Register after findings of dishonesty, and he was restored to the register in November 2020. Between August and October 2021 — within a short period of his restoration — he worked as a locum consultant at Withybush Hospital, where the conduct considered by the tribunal took place.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Allegations vs. findings. No criminal proceedings are recorded in the determination. The findings are regulatory findings by an MPTS tribunal on the civil standard (the balance of probabilities) and are not criminal convictions. This page distinguishes found-proved from not-proved allegations exactly as the determination does.
Dr Kuppuswamy faced allegations of sexually motivated misconduct towards Dr A and Dr B while working as a locum consultant at Withybush Hospital between August and October 2021. The allegations included sending inappropriate messages; unwanted physical contact, including grabbing wrists and squeezing waists; making sexually charged comments; and creating a hostile and sexualised working environment amounting to sexual harassment.
The tribunal found facts of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment proved, and determined that Dr Kuppuswamy’s fitness to practise was impaired by reason of misconduct. In deciding on the sanction, it found that he had limited meaningful insight and that a significant risk of repetition remained. It concluded that erasure was the appropriate and proportionate sanction.
The tribunal identified serious aggravating factors. Dr Kuppuswamy had previously been erased from the Medical Register in January 2012 after findings of dishonesty, before being restored in November 2020. Upon that restoration, and within a short period of time, he engaged in a course of sexual harassment and sexually motivated misconduct with two junior female colleagues. The tribunal considered that this demonstrated a wider attitudinal issue and a disregard for the principles set out in Good Medical Practice, citing his failure to work collaboratively with colleagues, his abuse of his professional position, and his sexual misconduct.
The mitigation before the tribunal was limited. Dr Kuppuswamy was an otherwise competent and respected clinician, supported by positive testimonials from colleagues, but the tribunal attributed this little weight, since its findings did not relate to his clinical practice or skills. No other mitigating factors were present.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The determination records regulatory consequences rather than any wider public controversy, and no public or media reaction is recorded in it. The immediate consequence of the tribunal’s decision was the direction of erasure, and an immediate order of suspension was imposed pending appeal. Being struck off means that a practitioner is removed from the register and is no longer permitted to practise the profession in the United Kingdom. Erasure can be reviewed after a minimum of five years, but is otherwise indefinite.
Current Status
As of the decision date of 30 January 2026, Dr Kuppuswamy stands erased from the Medical Register, with an immediate order of suspension imposed pending appeal. He is not permitted to practise as a doctor in the United Kingdom. The erasure is otherwise indefinite, and it can be reviewed only after a minimum of five years.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The erasure ends Dr Kuppuswamy’s registration to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. The tribunal’s findings that he had limited meaningful insight and that a significant risk of repetition remained, together with his earlier erasure for dishonesty in 2012, shaped its conclusion that erasure was the appropriate and proportionate sanction. Because the tribunal found that the 2021 conduct had occurred within a short period of his restoration to the register, and that it demonstrated a wider attitudinal issue and a disregard for the principles set out in Good Medical Practice, the positive testimonials concerning his clinical competence carried little weight in its assessment.
Sources
- MedicWatch, “Velmurugan Kuppuswamy — Struck off the register · 30 January 2026”, 30 January 2026.source