Doc accused of 'inappropriately touching' patients escapes ban

Aug 16 2007 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

A RETIRED Wirral doctor accused of inappropriately touching two female patients has been warned about his conduct but will not be struck off.

The General Medical Council hearing into the conduct of Dr Vijay Dwivedi found that although his fitness to practise was “not impaired”, there were “significant concerns” about his lack of proper regard for clinical boundaries, lack of appropriate communication with patients, and failure to prevent any misunderstanding about his behaviour or intentions during clinical examinations.

Dr Dwivedi practised at the Victoria Health Centre in Rock Ferry, from 1974 to 2003.

The panel said it had issued the warning, which will remain on his record for five years, because of the “significant departure from the standards expected of a registered medical practitioner”.

During the hearing, it was alleged that on an occasion between October, 1977, and October, 1988, he con-ducted an internal examination on a patient without gloves, and on another occasion had pressed himself against her.

He was accused of similar behaviour between 1981 and 1990 and he had appeared before the GMC in 2003, when the Profes-sional Conduct Comm-ittee found his consult- ations unstructured and confusing..