Physio had sex with patients

‘‘MsWilliams expressed her remorse for the hurt she had caused and in her evidence apologised to the complainants.’’

A physiotherapist has been censured and had her registration cancelled for a year after she had sex with two premier rugby players who were her patients.

In what was described as one of the first cases of its kind, the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal ordered physio Tania Suzanne Williams to pay $10,000 in costs for the disciplinary process and ordered she be supervised when she returned to physio work. Williams was found guilty of misconduct relating to sexual relationships she formed with two rugby players after she gained a contract to treat a team’s players in a union tournament between April and October 2014. She told the Tribunal she was an inexperienced practitioner who didn’t realise that the rugby players were technically her patients.

The name of the club, the players and the tournament they played in was suppressed following the tribunal hearing, however the tribunal refused the suppression of Williams’ name.

By November 2014 the man who hired Williams, the two rugby players, and one of the players’ spouses made written complaints to the Physiotherapy Board. Initially Williams denied the relationships, but later admitted them.

According to the Tribunal: ‘‘Ms Williams’ conduct in entering into sexual relationships with both patients is a clear and significant departure from acceptable professional standards.’’

Williams had been a physio since 2013 but had not treated any sports teams since early 2015.

‘‘The practitioner acknowledged that her behaviour had been unacceptable and that she had breached professional boundaries with both patients. Ms Williams states that at the time she was unaware of the definition of a ‘patient’ in a sports context and that she acted in a naive and irresponsible manner.’’

Williams told the tribunal that she was relatively inexperienced in her profession and didn’t understand her obligations fully. She reiterated the relationships were always consensual and said she found her work isolating, and had developed close relationships with the players as a result.

‘‘Ms Williams expressed her remorse for the hurt she had caused and in her evidence apologised to the complainants.’’