Doctor accused of patient sex
A Wellington doctor is facing multiple allegations of having sexual relationships with vulnerable women patients.
Deane Drew is facing a professional misconduct investigation involving four women patients from his central city practice, dating back to 1991.
The 64-year-old was suspended in April 2017 and is not currently practising – but 18 months since the first complaint was laid, the investigation is still ongoing.
Sexual relationships with patients violate medical ethics, due to the breach of trust, potential harm to the patient, and power imbalance of the relationship. Medical Council guidelines say this is because doctors can influence or manipulate patients into giving their consent.
The Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) and the Medical Council began investigating after a Wellington woman complained Drew pursued a sexual relationship with her while she was his patient at Lambton Quay practice City Medical, which he owned at the time.
Three more women patients have laid separate complaints. One is his estranged wife, who was a patient seeking help for mental health issues when they met. The practice’s doctors, who have since bought Drew out, also laid a complaint.
Drew declined to comment when approached by Stuff.
Clara (not her real name), 64, complained to the HDC in October 2016. In March 2017, the Medical Council appointed a professional conduct committee (PCC) to investigate.
Clara told Stuff she had been Drew’s patient for 25 years when he texted her to invite her for an overnight stay on his boat in Picton over Easter 2016. She assumed he obtained her number from her patient records. She said no, but he rang to reiterate the invitation. ‘‘I said: What do you think you’re doing, you’re mad, I’m your patient; and he seemed to laugh it off.’’
‘‘I never felt like he had been inappropriate leading up to that — but of course, looking back, there were red flags I had missed.
‘‘He had in the past made slight remarks about how . . . good I looked, but it wasn’t overtly creepy. I just can’t understand now how I didn’t see it, but I didn’t.’’
Clara said Drew pursued her, calling, texting, and asking to visit. She eventually said yes and they commenced a sexual relationship that Clara ended two weeks before she complained to the HDC that October.
Stuff has found complaints currently being investigated against Drew involve behaviour across three decades, including allegations he was grooming and targeting vulnerable women in his care. In the 1990s his practice was in Waring Taylor St, before moving to Featherston St and Lambton Quay.
Two women told the Medical Council they were receiving treatment from Drew for mental health issues.
One was self-harming at the time Drew instigated the relationship.
At his clinic, Drew empathised with the women’s struggles, hugging them and gaining their trust before beginning to text, call, and make ‘‘home visits’’ outside of hours.
He allegedly showered some of the women with gifts — such as lingerie, flowers and chocolate — and invited somefor dinner and on trips.
A former City Medical practice nurse said staff were told Drew had had sex with at least two patients. ‘‘I didn’t know anything, and I had no suspicions and I was pretty gutted and shocked. I felt sick.’’
She claimed the allegations were an ‘‘open secret’’ in the Wellington medical fraternity, and some staff were dismayed he was not being held publicly accountable. ‘‘He has been practising for a long time. People have a right to know.’’
A popular doctor, Drew had treated three generations of some families, she said. ‘‘Patients loved him.’’
Clara said her complaint was motivated not by vengeance, but a firm belief that Drew is not fit to practise. ‘‘I felt there may be others, and I thought if that’s the case he needs to be stopped.’’
Three of the practice’s doctors – Warwick Everton, Louise Boyd and Andrew Holmes – have since taken over City Medical, registering it as Midland Park Medical Ltd on 16 June 2017. In a statement, they said as soon as doctors became aware of issues about Drew they immediately imposed measures to ensure patients’ safety and continuity of care.
Everton would not say what the measures were.
Medical Council spokesman George Symmes said the ongoing investigation limited his ability to comment, but Drew could not currently practise.
Four women patients have laid separate complaints.