Tribunal to hear sex, drug charges against doctors

A doctor allegedly paid for sex with a woman who was his patient or former patient, gave her drugs without a medical reason and advised her on suicide.

He is one of two doctors before the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal on sex and drugs charges. Both have name suppression.

The first is scheduled to have the disgraceful conduct/professional misconduct charges against him go before a tribunal hearing in Christchurch next month.

A Medical Council complaints assessment committee accuses him of having a sexual relationship with the woman who was at the time or until recently his patient; paying her for sexual services; providing drugs without a prescription or for proper medical reasons; and advising her how to prepare a lethal dose of drugs to commit suicide.

After another person filed a complaint, it is alleged, the doctor paid the woman not to go to an interview at the Health and Disability Commissioner's office and tried to dissuade her from meeting the council committee.

The doctor denies the allegations.

A ruling on the tribunal's website, recording the suppression of his name, notes that the allegations cover a period of more than two years.

The tribunal says the committee wanted the doctor suspended, but he resigned from his job and voluntarily relinquished his medical registration "to await the outcome of the hearing".

Doctors found guilty of disgraceful conduct can be struck off the register.

The second doctor, from Canterbury, also faces a disgraceful conduct charge.

He is accused of having sex in 1985 with a 16-year-old who was his patient or had been until recently.

It is also alleged he supplied her with cocaine, cannabis and nitrous oxide. He denies the charges.