Married doctor who began romance with female patient is suspended even though he insists the relationship was not sexual
- Melbourne doctor suspended for three months over relationship with a woman
- Dr Shaun Rathnayake saw woman at medical centre during consultations
- During one visit he gave her his personal number and the pair chatted on phone
- Dr Rathnayake agreed pair were close but denied they had sexual relationship
A married doctor has been found guilty of professional misconduct and suspended for three months for having an intimate relationship with a female patient.
The unnamed woman consulted Melbourne doctor Shaun Rathnayake at the medical centre where he practised seven times between August and October 2015, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard.
During one consultation, Dr Rathnayake gave her his personal phone number, and over coming weeks, they chatted about things unrelated to her clinical care, shared details of their personal lives and went on coffee and dinner dates.
A married doctor has been found guilty of professional misconduct and suspended for three months for having an intimate relationship with a patient (stock image)
The relationship included emotional and physical intimacy, such as hugging, dancing and kissing and on one occasion, the doctor booked a hotel room and stayed overnight with the woman.
The woman declined to make a statement about the allegations. While Dr Rathnayake agreed they were close, he denied their relationship was sexual.
In his statements, he said he told her ideally they should not be talking often because she’d been his patient. When she agreed not to consult him again, they went out together.
The relationship ended about November 2015.
VCAT members Wendy Boddison, Roderick McRae and Patricia Molloy accepted there was no sexual relationship between them.
However, they took into account the escalating pattern of behaviour and found the boundary that must be kept between a doctor and patient was significantly breached.
‘Dr Rathnayake was in a close enough relationship with Ms X to spend a night with her at a hotel and share breakfast with her at 2am in the morning,’ the tribunal noted.
‘We regard this as a serious breach of the standard expected of a medical practitioner.’
While Dr Rathnayake showed some insight into his conduct, he did not show an appreciation for the wider effect of his conduct on the woman and his profession overall, the members said.
The doctor’s registration has been suspended for three months, from August 1.
‘It sends a clear message to Dr Rathnayake that his conduct was unacceptable and also serves as a deterrent to other medical practitioners,’ the members said.
VCAT members Wendy Boddison, Roderick McRae and Patricia Molloy accepted there was no sexual relationship between them (stock image)
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