Another Medical Sex Offence

We have commented here before ..... 

Carry On Doctors?

..... about the low moral standards expected from the medical profession by their governing bodies. 

They have slapped the wrists of paedophiles and those who have performed sexual assaults on staff and patients (particularly if committed by Asian males where different standards of conduct seem to apply) ... so when Dr Sanil Patel, a Harley Street dentist had sex with a patient, you would be right to suspect that he wouldn't be handed more than a slap on the wrists.

And you would be right. Despite the fact that he initially denied acting inappropriately (is that not called lying? ... maybe not, I'm probably applying the wrong standards), when he said that he was just "interested in her experience in property developing" (at least it wasn't her etchings), when he met her at the Savoy Hotel.

However he met her for dinner, before going up to her room in central London. They had initially met at his clinic. It wasn't noted if either he or she were married, and he said that he later apologised to her ... which probably went down well .... one wonders what form that apology took.

But in handing down a six month suspension the General Dental Council said "It was incumbent upon you to have refrained from pursuing a personal relationship with her. There is an imbalance of power in any dentist patient relationship and you should have been mindful of your position."

While elsewhere, in 2016-17 another surgeon, Consultant Doctor Gerard Gilan of Homerton University Hospital in London, was suspended by the General Medical Council after four women made allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

He took one junior doctors hand and told her "Look at you, sitting there looking all beautiful. You're teasing me." He was a 47 yr old, married father of two at the time, and later asked her if they could have sex and held her against him as they discussed her career.

In all there were 31 allegations made against him by three of the women, which it was said he did for "sexual thrills." At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal he admitted all the 31 offences, but was cleared of the allegations made by a fourth.

The tribunal found that his behaviours had been "inappropriate and unpleasant and sexually motivated". However what might have got you a criminal record in the normal world, only got him fired by the Hospital, and suspended for just three months by the tribunal. He remained an associate at a dental surgery.

Its about time the MPT, GMC and GMD were mindful of their responsibilities to protect the public from their all too often rogue members ... personally if any family member of mine was abused by one of these rogue medical members, there would be law suits against them and their ineffective governing bodies who failed to protect the public.

Update: Sexual assaults by surgeons on female operating theatre staff  has been revealed. Shocking enough on its own, but another theme from the data was a complete lack of faith in bodies such as NHS Trusts, the General Medical Council (which manages the UK's register of doctors allowed to practice) and the Royal Colleges (which represent specialities in medicine) - to tackle the problem. Not a big surprise when they frequently let those committing these offences off with mere suspensions.

Registered surgeons - men and women - were invited to take part completely anonymously and 1,434 responded. Half were women:

• 63% of women had been the target of sexual harassment from colleagues.
• 30% of women had been sexually assaulted by a colleague.
• 11% of women reported forced physical contact related to career opportunities.
• At least 11 incidents of rape were reported.
• 90% of women, and 81% of men, had witnessed some form of sexual misconduct.
• No one disciplined.