The former head of cardiology at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London “abused his position as a doctor in the most reprehensible way” over 13 years, the UK Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service has found.

Philipp Bonhoeffer’s case “represents one of the most serious forms of abuse both of young boys and of his own privileged position as a member of the medical profession,” declared the service’s fitness to practise panel.

The panel, which hears cases brought by the regulator of the UK medical profession, the General Medical Council, found Bonhoeffer’s fitness to practise impaired and struck him off the medical register. The cardiologist’s “apparently complete lack of insight” and failure to take action to remedy his misconduct meant a substantial risk of repetition in the future, the panel added.

As the BMJ went to press the panel was considering whether to strike Bonhoeffer off the medical register.

The panel found Bonhoeffer guilty of sexually …