A doctor has been cleared of malpractice after he wrote a fake sick note to help one of his patients escape from an expensive gym contract, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The decision sparked outrage among fitness centres in Belgium, which is plagued with inescapable, inflexible legally-binding agreements.
Belgium's Order of Physicians cleared the doctor for writing the sick note, grounds to cancel a contract, after he realised the woman could not afford to keep paying the bill.
The doctor admitted faking the note because he did not believe she had the money to pay the €70 a month contract for the 18 months it still had to run.
The Order of Physicians, the equivalent of Britain's General Medical Council, accepted the doctor's argument that he acted out of "social care" and had a responsibility to help his patient.
"At these fitness clubs there are often really tight contracts that you almost can't get rid of," he said.
