The tribunal heard that since the mid-2000s he worked as a doctor in a “high needs” ethnic community, where his knowledge of another language was a valuable skill.
In February 2016, a patient told the doctor that she had recently become engaged.
The GP was concerned about her previous relationships, the summary said, and “in hypothetical terms” he asked if she would have sex with him in exchange for money.
There was then a “disagreement” and the patient raised concerns with reception staff before leaving. The nature of the disagreement is not detailed within the summary.
The North Island doctor then entered into her medical notes that 18 months earlier the same patient “offered to sell herself sexually for 500D [sic] to me, which I severely counselled against”.
“I, as a unknown subject [sic] approached her. Would she sell herself? She said she did not know, then said for 5000D,” he wrote in her notes.
In the same notes, the doctor made reference to the patient’s sister, saying she was “prettier”.
“She has a sister more prettier than her - never was I ever inappropriate to her too.”
By way of explanation, the doctor said he propositioned the patient “to test her frame of mind, to see whether [she] was committed to marriage, to see whether she really was sound enough to go ahead and get married”.
In September 2017, the Medical Council was informed of an incident with another patient.
It is agreed that during a consultation, the doctor had consensual sex with this patient.
The doctor was suspended for 12 months, censured and ordered to pay 30 per cent of the tribunal’s costs, totalling $24,892.
He was also ordered to undertake a sexual misconduct assessment test, and if he returned to practice he would be under professional supervision, and be required to have a chaperone present for all consultations with female patients.
His application for permanent name suppression was declined, however, he will continue to have interim suppression until 21 days after the release of the written decision.
