A doctor barred from practising medicine in the United Kingdom for malpractice and sexual misconduct has been suspended in Spain following revelations from a joint investigation by Spanish outlet infoLibre and the OCCRP-led “Bad Practice” project.
The Colegio Oficial de Médicos de Alicante (COMA) confirmed to infoLibre media outlet that it has provisionally suspended Argentine-born surgeon Jorge Horacio Esbry and opened disciplinary proceedings against him, while forwarding his case to the provincial prosecutor’s office. COMA said it believed “a criminal offence and a violation of the code of ethics and statutes” could have occurred.
Esbry, who worked at a London clinic from 2015, was struck off in 2020 by the U.K.’s Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) after finding clinical misconduct, dishonest practices and sexual behaviour involving a patient. The tribunal said Esbry attempted to kiss a patient, made verbal sexual remarks and performed breast-implant surgery against her wishes. It banned him from practicing medicine in the U.K., saying immediate suspension was required “to protect the public.”
Despite the U.K. sanction, Esbry continued practising as a cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon in Spain, where he was already registered. According to infoLibre’s findings, his work spanned private clinics in Alicante and Murcia until the “Bad Practice” investigation flagged his case this October.
Under COMA’s notice to the clinics, Esbry is now barred from practising while the disciplinary process remains pending the prosecutor’s decision on criminal charges.
The case highlights systemic gaps in Spain’s oversight of doctors sanctioned abroad. Under current rules, physicians already registered in Spain before malpractice abroad can continue working unless Spanish authorities formally act. COMA says a UK alert on Esbry in March 2020 was delayed and procedural verification failed amid the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown.
COMA has launched a review of all its members and found no other cases like Esbry’s so far. By contrast, other regional colleges in Madrid, Almería and Navarra contacted by infoLibre have not taken any disciplinary action against other doctors flagged in the “Bad Practice” probe.
The “Bad Practice” investigation, coordinated by OCCRP along with The Times and Norway’s VG, uncovered dozens of doctors banned in one country but licensed in another by building a cross-border database of 2.5 million licensing records from more than 50 countries.
Esbry reportedly declined to comment on the allegations despite repeated requests.
