Insane killer's doctor ordered to pay $86,000

12.30pm

The former Southland Hospital doctor found guilty of professional misconduct over his care of a mental health patient who killed his mother in 2001 has been barred from practising for six months and ordered to pay $86,000.

Dr Peter Fisher was found guilty of professional misconduct on November 27.

In a lengthy report released today, the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal ordered that Dr Fisher's registration be suspended for six months from today.

He will not be able to practise in psychiatry and psychological medicine unless he first be accepted into and participate satisfactorily in a vocational training programme for three years.

Dr Fisher was directed to pay $86,411 in costs to the tribunal, the director of the proceedings and the Health and Disability Commissioner.

A day after being released from the mental health unit, Mark Burton drove to Queenstown and stabbed his mother Paddy to death.

He was later found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity at a trial.

Dr Fisher was found guilty after a seven-day trial of 17 of 27 elements of the charges laid by Health and Disability Commissioner's director of proceedings Morag McDowell.

However, tribunal chairman David Collins QC said it was not felt Dr Fisher's failings amounted to the more serious charge of disgraceful conduct.

In announcing the penalties today, the tribunal said it had found Dr Fisher's management of Mark Burton was "seriously deficient in a number of significant areas".

But the report stressed that "it must not be thought that there is a causal link between Dr Fisher's errors and the tragic death of Mrs Burton".

"The tribunal's decision should not be construed as suggesting Dr Fisher's acts and omissions caused Mrs Burton's death."

Dr Fisher had been employed by Southland Hospital as a psychiatric medical officer special scale, which is below the level of a vocationally registered specialist.

In some New Zealand centres, about 50 per cent of the medical staff employed in the public psychiatric service are of this grade.

- NZPA