Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Boss sent porn and racist emails 'to fit in'

A senior blood transfusion specialist who sent pornographic emails to "fit in" with colleagues has been warned over his future conduct. Roger Mattock said there was a culture of sending pornographic and racist emails between staff in Harrogate and District Foundation NHS Trust.

Mr Mattock, 54, admitted sending and receiving dozens of pornographic emails over six years. He was given a cautionary order at a misconduct hearing in London.

A panel at the Health Professions Council found Mr Mattock's fitness to practise was impaired and gave him a cautionary order which will remain on his record for five years. Mr Mattock, who worked as the transfusion manager at the trust, told the hearing he had received "quite a few" emails from managers in similar positions within other areas of the NHS.

"There seemed to be a culture within the department - not just within the department, but with other people in the trust as well - for these images to go round," he said. Mr Mattock, who admitted he should not have sent the e-mails, told the tribunal his £55,000-a-year career had been "completely blown out of the water".

He admitted sending and receiving 89 inappropriate emails, including dozens of pornographic images and one with the subject "very racist jokes."

When asked why he had forwarded the emails to up to a dozen people, he said: "I suppose I wanted to fit in. People had sent me these things so I sent them something back."

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