Sydney doctor deregistered for sexting patient
A Sydney shrink has had his registration cancelled for at least three years after sending a series of suggestive text messages to a female patient.
Dr Robert Hampshire, 71, was on Thursday found guilty of five breaches including unsatisfactory professional conduct by the Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The psychiatrist’s registration was cancelled after a patient submitted a complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC), accusing Dr Hampshire of making “a number of lewd and sexually-related comments” through phone calls and text messages in 2017.
Dr Hampshire said because he had consumed alcohol and taken a sleeping pill, he could not recall the phone calls and texts on late April 14 and the early hours of April 15.
He initially said he was on a boat all day during the incidents, but later admitted he spent the day at home with his former wife.
“He found out he had not been on the boat later on when he spoke to the owner of the boat,” the tribunal found.
The female patient, referred to as Patient A, received the inappropriate messages a week after seeing Dr Hampshire for an assessment following a dog attack.
She dialled Dr Hampshire’s number accidentally and immediately hung up. Dr Hampshire then phoned and sent text and voicemail messages to the patient.
In the phone conversations, Dr Hampshire told the patient she was a “beautiful girl” and asked if she was “naked” before repeatedly saying “take it off”.
He also sent a text message saying: “Do. I know u feel now lying there. Me too. Call me x”.
“Dr Hampshire’s conduct risked the health and safety of the public,” the tribunal found in its judgement.
“Patient A said she considered his conduct disgusting and she felt violated. She described him as an opportunistic doctor who tried to take advantage of her.”
He has been barred from applying for a registration review for three years.
Dr Hampshire was previously deregistered in 1994 after he was found to be self-administering the painkiller pethidine.
In 2013, he was ordered to pay $4950 to the NSW Medical Council after the HCCC accused him of professional misconduct, practising without professional indemnity insurance and failing to meet strict conditions placed on his registration.