A Tauranga doctor who failed to disclose criminal convictions for assault and dishonesty offences has been censured, had his registration cancelled and ordered to pay more than $10,000 in costs.
A Medical Council Professional Conduct Committee hearing on Thursday saw members of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal also rule that Dr Julian Meredith Clive White must wait 12 months before he can reapply for registration.
He will also have to complete a professional ethics course, submit a written reflection on the course and disclose the tribunal decision to any future employer for a period of 36 months.
According to Kate Feltham, lawyer for the Professional Conduct Committee, White failed to disclose that he had been investigated by Australian authorities and his New Zealand convictions.
'Dr White has admitted liability and admitted the facts amount to professional misconduct.”
Feltham says there were 'undoubtedly grounds for discipline” and that White's claim his failure to declare was simply an oversight was 'another layer of dishonesty, lying to the Medical Council”.
In a written response to the Medical Council White claimed he was 'deeply embarrassed” by the convictions, but that the offending related to only two individuals who were family members.
'They have nothing to do with any member of the public, are not of a sexual nature and have nothing to do with me being a doctor or even my state of mind,” he says.
'They are of a completely private family matter that frankly has got out of hand in my opinion.”
However, Feltham says White had shown a 'significant pattern of dishonesty” and also raised the issue of his assault conviction.
'Any violence by a practitioner should be abhorred,” she says.
The agreed summary of facts revealed White was convicted of assault in 2016, and dishonesty offending in 2021 that related to frauds and forgeries committed between 2006 and 2019.
Feltham says the dishonesty charges related 'to large amount of money being loaned”.
'An element of duress was involved. . . intended to subvert a relationship property process.”
She says White 'intended to mislead others for financial gain”.
'Forgery offences are objectively serious,” she says.
'Cancellation is the only appropriate penalty.”
1 comment
It seems reasonable to me...
Posted on 17-02-2023 12:24 | By morepork
... that we should be able to expect integrity and honesty from medical professionals. I have been known to change my doctor when I found he simply did not do what he said he would do. (For me, that is a test of character and integrity. Don't say you will do something if you are not sure that you can; if you say you will call somebody, do it.) This man is beyond the pale and I hope he rethinks and readjusts his attitude. Their skill is wanted and needed, but if they are unethical, you are putting your life on the line when you put it in their hands.
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