Doctor who hugged female patients and suggested they 'drink fine wine' cleared of sexual misconduct
A doctor who hugged female patients and suggested they drink “fine wine” has been cleared of sexual misconduct after saying it was "to make them feel better".
Dr Paul Smith, 38, had faced being struck off after he complimented one woman on her "lovely blue eyes" and added: “Women like you just need a glass of good quality wine."
He told another distressed woman "Oh let me give you a hug", and pulled her into an embrace while doing his rounds.
Dr Smith was reported to the General Medical Council (GMC) by both women - one of whom was said to have been left "petrified and frozen" by his behaviour.
Paul Williams, representing the GMC, said: "Dr Smith made deeply inappropriate comments to Patient A, especially in light of him being a male doctor and her being a female patient.”
At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, Dr Smith who worked in respiratory medicine was found to have made "inappropriate" remarks but was cleared of sexually motivated misconduct and deemed fit to practise medicine.
He denied claims he kissed the patients but admitted his remarks were "ill judged" and he has since attended a course on maintaining professional boundaries.
The incidents occurred in December 2018 while the two women were being treated on the same ward at Weston General Hospital, Weston-super-Mare.
The pair reported the doctor after swapping stories about their experiences with him.
Dr Smith's lawyer, Kevin McCartney, said his actions were attempts to make the patients “feel better”, but admitted his previously used strategy “did not work for Patients A or B and he realises now he cannot take a universal approach”.
Laura Paul, Tribunal chairman, said his actions were “misguided”, but “It is clear from his reflections that Dr Smith is very remorseful”.
Mrs Paul added the Tribunal noted his “very creditable reflections and self-remediation, which demonstrated the extent to which he has learnt from his behaviour".
