Guilty, respected GP who groped patient’s breasts
A SCOTS doctor who groped a female patient’s breasts while performing a chest examination has been found guilty of misconduct.
Dr Colin Wilson had ‘no medical reason’ for placing his hands on the woman’s breasts, a tribunal found.
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing has concluded the 65-yearold GP’s behaviour was sexually motivated. It was also satisfied his actions were performed without consent and were not ‘an adequate medical examination’.
During the tribunal, which was held virtually, a woman known as Patient A said she had gone to Lorn Medical Centre in Oban, Argyll, on December 20, 2017, for her and her three-year-old son to be examined for different reasons.
After her son was examined by Dr Wilson, he performed a throat examination before putting his hands up the woman’s jumper and T-shirt and cupping her breasts. She said: ‘His entire hand covered or cupped the whole of my left breast. I could feel his fingers on my skin.’
After the incident, Dr Wilson was described as being flustered.
Patient A contacted the practice, the police, NHS Highland and the General Medical Council to report his behaviour. Dr Wilson was interviewed under caution but was not charged with any offence.
Dr Wayne Lewis, an expert witness called on behalf of the General Medical Council, testified Dr Wilson’s approach to a chest examination was not adequate or appropriate.
In a written report, he stated: ‘If Patient A’s statements are accepted, Dr Wilson undertook a chest examination that was limited in its scope to such an extent that it would not constitute an adequate or
‘It was sexually motivated’
appropriate examination of the chest or heart.’
After hearing the ‘compelling evidence’, MPTS tribunal chairman Nathan Moxon concluded: ‘Dr Wilson had no medical reason for placing his hand up Patient A’s top. His actions in doing so... were sexually motivated.’
Dr Wilson, who had been a volunteer crew member of the Oban RNLI Lifeboat for 30 years and attended a total of 660 callouts, has since retired.
The tribunal will disclose the sanction on the doctor’s registration at a later date.