Indian-origin doctor in UK sleeps with patient after giving her opioids, suspended

A leading Indian-origin neurosurgeon in the UK has been suspended for eight months after being found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman patient and prescribing her addictive painkillers while continuing to oversee her medical care.

Dr Chirag Patel, a neurosurgeon who worked at the University Hospital of Wales, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct after a medical tribunal heard that he entered into a sexual relationship with a woman after operating on her twice in 2019 for spinal problems.

The tribunal was told Dr Patel first treated the patient by carrying out surgery to remove a damaged spinal disc. He later performed another operation on her the same year before the professional relationship developed into a sexual one, the Daily Mail reported.

By February 2023, the relationship had "deteriorated", prompting the woman to report the surgeon to police. The matter was subsequently referred to the Cardiff and Vale health board, according to a hearing before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

The tribunal observed that the surgeon had shown a “reckless disregard for patient safety” by continuing to prescribe medication to the patient despite concerns over her vulnerability and repeated requests for drugs.

The panel found that Dr Patel prescribed the woman several medications, including Diazepam, an addictive muscle relaxant, as well as opioid painkiller, while maintaining the personal relationship. The prescriptions reportedly continued until January 2023.

The tribunal also heard that the surgeon failed to properly document the prescriptions in the patient’s medical records and did not inform her primary care doctor. The panel concluded that the woman was vulnerable and that her repeated demands for pain medication may have stemmed from addiction issues.

Despite being informed that Dr Patel was the only surgeon in NHS Wales qualified to perform certain neuropathic pain surgeries, the tribunal suspended him for eight months, stating that the sanction was necessary to protect the public and maintain confidence in the medical profession.

In its ruling, the panel criticised the surgeon for prioritising his personal interests over the patient’s welfare, saying that by not ending the relationship, Dr Patel placed his personal interests, including protecting his career, reputation and family relationships, above patient's proper care.

In his defence, Dr Patel claimed the relationship had broken down and that he continued interacting with the patient because of threats and alleged blackmail. "I would only see her under the threat of blackmail and to appease her," the surgeon told the tribunal, according to evidence presented during the hearing.

The hearing was told that Dr Patel carried out a third procedure on the patient in 2023, inserting a spinal cord stimulator, nearly four years after the initial surgeries.

Dr Patel admitted being in a sexual relationship with the patient and acknowledged sending her explicit images. He also expressed remorse over prescribing medication while involved with her personally.

The tribunal was also told that the complaint emerged during what was described as a "period of psychosis" experienced by the patient.

Robin Kitching, representing the General Medical Council, argued that Dr Patel should be struck off the medical register altogether, contending that the surgeon had failed to demonstrate sufficient understanding of why his behaviour was inappropriate and warning of the risk of repetition.

However, the tribunal opted for suspension rather than erasure from the medical register.

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