In surprising results from a new survey it was noted that nearly half of family doctors want the freedom to have a relationship with a patient. One in six GPs thinks it is acceptable to have sex with one of their own patients, says the survey, while 48 per cent think it is OK to do so if the patient changes doctors.
At present there are very strict rules to prevent doctors exploiting those in their care.
The poll of 282 doctors, carried out by GPs' magazine Pulse, shows that General Medical Council guidelines do not fit with the attitudes of practitioners. When asked whether they would support a doctor's relationship with a patient, so long as the patient moved practices, only 28 per cent said they would not, with nearly half saying that they would.
Although the majority of GPs said they thought a doctor should not have sex with his own patient, 16 per cent thought that this would be acceptable. Two per cent of those polled admitted to having had sex with a patient registered at their practice.
At present the General Medical Council, GMC rule say that relationships with former patients are usually “inappropriate” unless they arise from “social contact”. Guidelines also prevent GPs from having sex with former patients if the patient could be considered “vulnerable”, or if “the professional relationship is being abused”.
15 doctors were struck off the medical register in 2009 for breaking regulations on relationships - more than those punished for any other offence.
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