Pervert doctor stored haul of patients’ files
Tip-off leads to records on laptop
A doctor who kept pictures of dozens of Scottish patients’ private medical files has been struck off.
Ghai Xiong chong, 30, had his home in England raided by police acting on a tip-off images of child abuse were being downloaded.
officers found more than 3,000 depraved images on his laptop and uncovered a ‘large number’ of medical files relating to patients in Scotland.
It later emerged that he had taken pictures of the files while working for NHS Lothian.
Humberside Police subsequently informed the General Medical council (GMC) about the discovery and an investigation was launched.
chong, originally from Malaysia, was jailed for six months for the twisted images, with many showing abuse of the most depraved level.
He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for seven years and placed on the sex offenders register.
chong, who graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2017, was also brought before the Medical Practitioners tribunal Service (MPTS).
A panel ruled he should be struck off for gross misconduct.
In addition to his criminal conviction in England, the tribunal found chong had ‘inappropriately stored photographs of confidential identifiable patient medical records from NHS Lothian’.
In a statement to the MPTS, chong claimed he had taken photos of patient files because he was under pressure at work.
He said: ‘during my clinical years, I was faced with an increased pressure from hospital attachments and the need to prepare clinical reports for them, which were to contribute towards my final assessment. I was finding it more difficult to gather all the information I needed during my time on the ward and so, in order that I could complete them when I got home, I took images of patient records.’
chong told the MPTS that he had been using ‘prayer and meditation’ and was ‘confident’ he would not reoffend despite claiming it would be a ‘life-long battle’.
the tribunal panel ruled that storing patients’ private medical information amounted to ‘serious misconduct’.
After his time working in Scotland ended, chong went to the Acute Medical Unit at Hull royal Infirmary.
He was convicted at Hull crown court last November.
the court heard he admitted to police: ‘It’s all my fault. I’m addicted to porn and have been for years.’
His lawyer claimed that chong was ‘isolated’ and said he had reached out for help to address his offending.
However, in a written ruling, MPTS panel chairman Graham White said that chong’s behaviour was ‘fundamentally incompatible with being a doctor’ and he had shown ‘a reckless disregard’ for good medical practice.
Mr White added: ‘the offences for which he was convicted were of a sexual nature, involving children and he had shown limited insight into the seriousness of his actions or the consequences.
‘downloading and viewing child sex abuse materials seriously undermines patients’ and the public’s trust and confidence in the medical profession. the tribunal concluded that the only proportionate and necessary sanction is one of erasure.’
NHS Lothian was approached for comment.
‘It’s all my fault. I’m addicted’