Locum GP had sex in bath with vulnerable patient

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/24/house-call-doc-had-sex-in-bath-with-patient-115875-23152163/

A FAMILY doctor yesterday admitted having sex with a drunk patient during an out of hours visit to her home.

Jonathan Miller got in a bath with the woman after she allegedly started flirting.

But later the same day the vulnerable patient told police he raped her.

The locum GP was arrested but not charged as prosecutors did not feel the evidence of the woman was strong enough.

Yesterday Dr Miller appeared before the General Medical Council, which will decide whether he should be struck off.

The disciplinary hearing heard the woman had been drinking cider and taken a big dose of painkillers before he arrived.

Dr Miller, a South African-trained doctor, said: “I had gone into the bathroom to use the toilet.

“She came in and asked me to help her into the bath. Her carer hadn’t shown up. She needed help getting over the edge which I did. She asked me to wash her back. I said I felt uncomfortable but she said ‘please stay and help me, I’m lonely and need help’.

“She asked me to wash her hair which I did. She then asked me to stay and make love to her. She undid my shirt and I took that as a mutual acceptance and she said ‘get in the bath with me’. I knew it was completely wrong but I just sort of did it.”

Dr Miller was working for Derbyshire Health United out of hours GP service when he made the hour-long visit to the patient’s home in September, 2009.

He noted the woman, who can only be identified as patient A, had been drinking

The pair had unprotected sex in the bath and then Dr Miller got up to leave.

He admitted to police he had sex with the woman who was “probably a bit tipsy”.

The GP denied she seemed confused but admitted his actions were an abuse of a vulnerable patient.

He has since been suspended from the performers list of Warwickshire Primary Care Trust.

Miller, who qualified from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa in 1989, attended yesterday’s hearing supported by his brother.

He admitted that his actions were inappropriate, sexually motivated, and an abuse of his position and a vulnerable patient. The hearing continues.

I knew it was completely wrong but I just sort of did it.”

Just 'sort of,' got in the bath with a woman who must have been disabled in some way, as she had a carer? Just 'sort of.'? Bah!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1390104/Doctor-sex-drunken-patient-bath-greeted-doorstep-panel-hears.html

A doctor had sex with a cancer patient in the bath during a home visit after being ‘flattered’ by the attention she gave him, the General Medical Council heard yesterday.

At the hearing, to determine whether he should be struck off, Locum GP Jonathan Ivan Miller confessed he had abused his position to have sex with a vulnerable patient who had been drinking and had taken a large dose of painkillers.

But the married doctor claimed he had ‘self-esteem issues’ and became ‘sucked in’ by the attractive, slim, blonde woman in her early 40s, after she answered the door wearing a T-shirt, shorts and pink high heels.

He said: ‘I was flattered by the attention she was giving me.’

The GMC heard that Miller carried out the home visit after the patient, who suffers from bone cancer and was referred to only as patient A, called the local out-of-hours service to report she had taken 14 ibuprofen tablets in the past 24 hours.

But when he arrived the doctor, who was working for Derbyshire Health United’s out-of-hours GP service at the time, said he discovered she was drunk and did not want to talk about her medical problems.

He told the hearing a bath had already been run and the patient asked him to help her in. Miller, who trained in South Africa, told the GMC: ‘I could see she was struggling, so I said: “Yes, I will help you”. She asked me to wash her back. I said I felt uncomfortable, but she said “please stay and help me. I am lonely and need help”.

‘She asked me to wash her hair which I did. She then asked me to stay and make love to her.’

The pair had unprotected sex in the bath, the GMC heard. Afterwards he helped the woman out of the bath, got dressed and left.

Miller was arrested after the woman told police she had been raped during the hour-long visit in September 2009.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/26/doctor-who-had-sex-with-patient-in-bath-admits-he-was-disgusted-with-himself-115875-23156924/

Doctor who had sex with patient in bath admits he was disgusted with himself

A MARRIED doctor who had sex with a drunk cancer patient told police: “I thought I was helping her.”

GP Jonathan Miller ended up in the bath with the woman after visiting her on an out-of-hours call at her home in Derby, the General Medical Council heard.

He was arrested after she claimed he raped her but no charges were brought.

Yesterday South-African Miller, who is currently banned from practising in the UK, admitted: “I knew it was wrong. I was disgusted with myself.” Hearing continues.

"I thought I was helping her"
Jesus! I've heard of some excuses but that takes the biscuit!

wjk wrote:"I thought I was helping her"
Jesus! I've heard of some excuses but that takes the biscuit!

Yes, I wondered if that would be the phrase to jump out, as it did for me. Yesterday's was 'I just sort of did it,' and now we have 'I thought I was helping her.' Ah yes! All this very ill woman needed was a good ....!!!

I think he deserves to get struck off, the filthy barsteward!

I agree, the least he deserves is to be struck off.
I wonder why no charges were brought against him?

AnnaEsse

I have wanted to make a comment but it made me feel quite sick for a while. I expect he will get a "slapped wrist" or moved to another area.

It's very unfortunate that Doctors have this sort of access in normal practice and so can abuse the trust given to them.

Horrible!

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Penalty-does-reflect-seriousness-case/story-12703274-detail/story.html

Friday, June 03, 2011


Derby Telegraph


CAMPAIGNERS have reacted with fury after a married doctor who had sex with a drunken patient on a home visit was suspended for only 12 months.

Jonathan Miller was given the penalty by the General Medical Council after he blamed the incident on depression.

Making its ruling yesterday, a GMC panel accepted that Dr Miller's behaviour was influenced by his mental health.

But panel chairman Dr Nigel Hester told him: "Patients do not expect to be sexually exploited by their medical practitioners.

"Members of the public will rightly be appalled at learning of doctors who behave as you have done. Their confidence in the profession may be seriously diminished as a consequence of your conduct."

A spokesman for Rape Crisis, which campaigns against sexual exploitation, said: "This doctor took advantage of a vulnerable woman who should have been able to trust him.

"A 12-month suspension does not reflect the seriousness of the case nor does it deter anyone else from doing the same thing. It certainly would not encourage other women in a similar situation to come forward.

"The GMC should have set a precedent showing that they are utterly appalled by this behaviour and will not tolerate such an abuse of power."

Dr Miller was working for the county's out-of-hours GP service, Derbyshire Health United, when he was called to the Derby city centre home of the patient, who said she had bone cancer and had taken too many painkillers.

Following yesterday's ruling, Dr David Disney, chairman of Derbyshire Health United, said it would not employ Dr Miller again after his suspension is served.

He said: "Dr Miller's reprehensible conduct was behaviour unbecoming of a GP. We can reassure patients and the public that this was an isolated incident.

"All of our patients can be reassured that Derbyshire Health United now only appoints self-employed GPs who are based locally, and 80% of all our contracted doctors are on the NHS Derbyshire performers list, which means that they practise within the county or in neighbouring areas."

Dr Disney said that Dr Miller was suspended from the medical performers' list in June last year after the incident happened.

He said that this prevents him from working as a GP anywhere in the UK.

Dr Miller will face a review panel next year before he is allowed to return to work.

The doctor was arrested after the patient claimed he had raped her during the hour-long visit to her home, but he was not charged after a police investigation.

Dr Miller admitted he had sexual intercourse with the woman after she answered the door in T-shirt, shorts and pink high heels. The South African-trained GP later told police that he thought he was "doing good" for the woman.

He told the GMC hearing the woman, identified only as patient A, had asked for his first name when he arrived at about midday on September 12, 2009.

He said she quizzed him about himself as he tried to ask details of her condition.

He saw a two-litre bottle of cider on the fridge with some of the contents poured into a wine glass, and the patient told him that she had already drunk three or four glasses.

Miller said he could find nothing clinically wrong with her and asked to use the bathroom before he left, where he found a bath already run.

He said the patient then followed him in, and touched his buttocks while making "inappropriate comments".

Dr Miller said the woman asked him to help her bathe as her carer had not turned up as expected, and then began to unbutton his shirt.

They then had sex in the bath.

Chris Williamson, MP for Derby North, said he "was sure" Dr Miller would not practise in Derby again.

He said: "People want to have confidence in the doctors they see.

"However the majority of people in the medical profession are very dedicated individuals.

"Incidents like this are rare and I am sure some people feel the punishment is inadequate."