Doctor accused of touching medical students’ breasts faced similar patient complaint

The doctor allegedly touched the medical students behind closed doors at a hospital. Photo /123rf

A young doctor accused of touching medical students’ breasts unnecessarily was under police investigation for allegedly doing the same thing to a sleepy patient a few years earlier.

The man, whose identity is suppressed, says he is sorry but strongly denies any wrongdoing.

Dr G faces disciplinary proceedings this week after three women accused him of touching their breasts along with another woman’s, on the pretext of teaching them how to do a cardiovascular examination.

“I did not squeeze the breasts of any of the complainants as alleged,” the man told the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal today in Auckland.

Police records show a patient complained about Dr G with a similar allegation in 2012 when he was a medical student on hospital placement.

Representing the Medical Council’s professional conduct committee, Dr Jonathan Coates said the patient told police she was woken up in her hospital room by Dr G to do a chest examination, during which he allegedly “felt and squeezed” her breast.

The chest or cardiovascular examination focuses on the patient’s heart and involves multiple steps, one of which requires the examiner to place an entire hand on the patient’s chest to locate what is called the apex beat - the impact of the heart against the chest wall.

Dr G was quoted in police files saying he tried to feel for the patient’s apex beat, and asked the patient to move her bra up when he was unable to detect it.

He also told police he saw nothing to indicate the patient was uncomfortable other than being tired, and would have stopped if she had asked.

“Her allegation is that you touched her without her consent,” Coates put to the man.

“I had obtained consent to do the exam, but she thought I was a doctor,” he said.

“You apologised sincerely for the misunderstanding,” Coates said.

“I was still improving my skills, yes,” Dr G said.

Asked if the incident and subsequent police investigation was “a shock of monumental proportion” in terms of how he approached women for cardiovascular exams, Dr G said, “Yes, it was.”

Police did not lay a charge after initially considering one of indecent assault, and the hospital did not take further action after an investigation.

Dr G denied wrongdoing in both the 2012 and latest round of complaints.

“I strongly deny I acted inappropriately,” he told the tribunal on Wednesday morning, referring to the medical students’ allegations.

All four women, whose identities are also suppressed, were on hospital placement in Dr G’s team during the incidents in 2016 and 2018.

Dr G said he believed the women had exaggerated what happened after discussing it among themselves.

But he regretted putting them in a situation that had what he called the potential for misinterpretation.

“I am very sorry for the distress I’ve caused,” he said.

“It’s just plain common sense that you don’t take young women one-on-one into tutorial rooms and touch on or near the breast. You don’t do it, do you?” Coates asked the doctor at one point.

“I certainly don’t do it anymore,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday’s hearing, the doctor wiped away tears as he told the tribunal about the impact of the allegations, that resulted in him being suspended and eventually dismissed from the hospital.

He found work at another hospital in a different city but had to relocate, which was stressful for him and his parents. His long-term relationship at the time also ended as a result.

“At all times I was trying to teach and provide assistance to my colleagues,” he said. “I thought I was working to empower the medical students.”