Doctor dating patient illegal
15-Oct-2020 02:17
A doctor should consider carefully whether they could be exploiting the trust, knowledge and dependence that developed during the doctor-patient relationship before they decide whether to pursue or engage in a relationship with a former patient.When deciding whether a doctor used the doctor-patient relationship to engage in a sexual relationship with a former patient, the Board will consider a range of factors including: involved or interested in their healthcare.Doctors who breach these guidelines are placing their registration at risk and in some cases could be committing a criminal offence.
This should be done sensitively so that a potentially vulnerable patient is not further harmed.
Sexual misconduct is a serious abuse of that trust.
Patients have a right to feel safe when they are consulting a doctor.
The individual close to the patient also relies on the doctor and trusts that the doctor is acting in the best interests of the patient.
A sexual relationship between a doctor and the individual close to a patient may affect the judgement of both the doctor and the individual and as a result, may undermine the patient’s healthcare.It may be unethical and unprofessional for a doctor to engage in a sexual relationship with a former patient, if this breaches the trust the patient placed in the doctor.