This allegation is ‘malicious’ says MP MP hits back at claims in national paper
FRASER WILSON
Lisa Cameron MP has branded allegations that she breached patient confidentiality as “malicious”.
The MP was forced to hit out at reports in a national newspaper claiming she was being investigated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
And she claims it is part of a smear campaign against her name following a recent vote of conscience.
The Times reported on Saturday that Dr Cameron, who works as a clinical psychologist, was being looked into over allegations she had kept confidential patient files in her constituency office.
The newspaper report claimed the SNP MP left documents in an “insecure or public area” within her East Kilbride parliamentary office.
But in a statement released by a solicitor on behalf of Dr Cameron, she said there have “never been any allegations” that she used her parliamentary office for psychology work.
It read: “The allegation relates to paperwork being wrongly brought there by a former employee.
“Dr Cameron entirely refutes the allegation. It is malicious and has been alleged by an SNP member who was dismissed after significant financial irregularities were identified in their expense claims to Parliament.”
The report comes on the back of a difficult two weeks for Dr Cameron, who has been publicly chastised by constituents over her decision to vote against extending abortion rights Northern Ireland in a vote of conscience.
We told you last week how the MP voted in line with her own views on abortion due to personal experiences and her religious beliefs, but was forced to defend her decision amid a ferocious online backlash.
MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, Dr Cameron has since received hundreds of abusive messages and threats, including images of rape and threats to ‘abort her.’
On the back of that, Dr Cameron – through her solicitor – and her team believe The Times article to be a “smear campaign” against her.
Her statement continued: “The HCPC confirmed they would not pre-publish details of any hearing due to the level of current risk towards Dr Cameron.
“That these details have now been published in a newspaper requires full investigation.
“We believe this to be an obvious political smear campaign, in a week where Dr Cameron’s deselection has been publicly advocated by local SNP officials due to her conscience vote against abortion.”
Dr Cameron told the Scottish Catholic Observer that she had received over 1000 messages since the vote, many of which she felt were “cyberbullying”.
She also told them that she feared deselection with a campaign by local party members to get rid of her.
“As soon as I put the post up I was deluged by hateful responses,” she told the Observer.
“People were really abusing me and my decision, saying that I endorse rape of women, sending me pictures of rape scenes and aborted foetuses and telling me I should be aborted myself.
“I felt very alone and my family and I felt like we were left to deal with this ourselves, despite it being a vote of conscience.”
The HCPC said: “We can confirm that Mrs Lisa Cameron is currently under investigation and a hearing is taking place mid-August in Scotland.”