A doctor is accused of grabbing and squeezing a nurse's breast before throwing a cup of coffee over her.

Dr Satpal Jabbal was engaged in a "light-hearted" conversation with the nurse in a hospital tea room before he turned on her "without warning".

The anaesthetist is also accused of sexually motivated conduct towards two other nurses at Wishaw General Hospital in Lanarkshire, the General Medical Council heard on Monday.

He allegedly squeezed and tickled the sides of one nurse and touched her bottom, while he grabbed the breast of another as she helped him anaesthetise a patient.

The three allegations are said to have taken place between October 2001 and November 2007.

Outlining the case at the fitness to practise hearing, Sara Lewis, counsel for the General Medical Council, said the first incident involving an auxiliary nurse took place at Law Hospital in Carluke, Lanarkshire.

She told the hearing: "She will say that during a tea break there was an exchange between herself and Dr Jabbal which started as a light-hearted exchange about the TV remote control.

"Then Dr Jabbal without warning behaved towards her as charged. He grabbed her breast, shouted and swore at her and threw a cup of coffee over her.

"She would also say that he pushed a television from its stand during the course of the incident. Another member of staff eventually intervened and the nurse reported the incident to the service manager."

In the same incident the doctor was also said to have grabbed a packet of crisps from the nurse and jumped on them, as well as threatened to hit her.

A second employee, a staff nurse, complained he acted inappropriately towards her between March 2006 and February 2007.

Ms Lewis added: "She will say that when she worked with Dr Jabbal he was very critical of her in contrast to the way other staff behaved with her. Often done in a raised voice and in front of her colleagues.

"She will say this inappropriate behaviour progressed to touching. That touching became more frequent from the start of 2007."

'Kicking and tickling'

As well as touching, tickling and grabbing her, he is said to have kicked her. The nurse claims on one occasion he grabbed her stomach and prevented her from leaving the operating theatre. She said she eventually felt unable to work with him and made a formal complaint.

The final incident was said to have taken place on November 23, 2007, with a nurse who was assisting in anaesthetics.

Ms Lewis told the hearing: "She will say that she and Dr Jabbal took the patient into the operating room and while she was assisting him anaesthetise the patient he touched her breast with his hand.

"She told him to stop it and he did so. She will say that he subsequently touched her again. She did not tell anyone but eventually broke down and was sent to occupational health and then made a statement, She also made a complaint to the police."

Dr Jabbal, who was present at the hearing in Manchester, denies all charges of misconduct. An investigation was launched by NHS Lanarkshire and he was suspended before he was dismissed on the grounds of gross misconduct in December 2009.

Shortly afterwards Dr Jabbal applied for the post of speciality doctor in anaesthetics at Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust. He stated his reason for leaving Wishaw General was because of a disagreement with management, Ms Lewis said.

She added he went on to mislead an interviewing panel by saying there was no case to answer involving allegations of assault against him.

The first witnesses in the case will give evidence on Tuesday when the hearing, scheduled to last four weeks, continues.