Christian doctor ‘overstepped the boundaries’ while talking about religion and praying with a patient but is not guilty of serious misconduct, medical watchdogs rule
- Dr Richard Scott discussed religion at Bathesda Medical Centre in Margate, Kent
- The 19-year-old patient was suffering with poor mental health when they spoke
A Christian doctor ‘overstepped the boundaries’ while talking about religion and praying with a patient but is not guilty of serious misconduct, medical watchdogs have ruled.
Dr Richard Scott, a medic since 1983, began discussing religion to his vulnerable patient, including talking about his own faith, before clasping his patient’s hands in prayer, a fitness to practise tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) found.
The medic, who ran two mission hospitals in Tanzania before becoming a GP, also gave the patient a Bible when he left the Bethesda Medical Centre in Margate, Kent.
The patient, identified only as patient B, a 19-year-old man with a history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, was suffering with poor mental health when he went to see Dr Scott on August 25 last year, accompanied by his mother, the tribunal sitting in Manchester heard.
Two weeks later the teenager’s mother made a complaint to NHS England about her son’s consultation with Dr Scott.
Dr Scott told the tribunal hearing he declined the use of anti-depressants for his patient, discussed counselling then asked permission to ‘tackle his issues from a third, spiritual, angle’.
Dr Richard Scott ‘overstepped the boundaries’ while talking about religion and praying with a patient but is not guilty of serious misconduct, medical watchdogs have ruled
But the teenager told the tribunal he was ‘taken aback’ when the doctor began talking about Christianity, which made him feel ‘uneasy’ and claimed the GP told him he needed to ‘reconnect’ with God.
READ MORE: GP who prays for his patients is ordered to attend an £1,800 education course designed for alleged sex-pest doctors
Dr Scott told the tribunal that he does not pressurise anyone into a spiritual discussion but rather ‘offers and encourages’.
The tribunal found that though patient B did consent to undertake a spiritual discussion, Dr Scott ‘then overstepped the boundaries’.
He should have checked the teenager was ‘comfortable’ with engaging in such a discussion and did not feel under pressure to continue it, the tribunal ruled.
General Medical Council (GMC) guidance states doctors may practise medicine in accordance with their beliefs provided they do not cause distress to patients.
And they must not impose or express personal beliefs or values, including political, religious and moral beliefs, to patients in ways that exploit their vulnerability or are likely to cause them distress.
In a 41-page ruling following the tribunal hearings, which began on August 21, the MPTS concluded Dr Scott’s conduct constituted misconduct.
But the ruling continued: ‘However, in the context of these events, it did not find that Dr Scott’s conduct could be considered deplorable or disgraceful.
The medic, who ran two mission hospitals in Tanzania before becoming a GP, also gave the patient a Bible when he left the Bethesda Medical Centre in Margate, Kent (pictured, file image)
‘Therefore, it concluded that, although this amounted to misconduct, Dr Scott’s actions did not cross the high threshold required to be considered serious misconduct.’
The tribunal is currently sitting to consider if Dr Scott should be given a warning letter – which would be his second.
In June 2012 the GMC issued Dr Scott with the warning letter after a patient complained the GP had abused his position to push his religion upon him.
Another instance in 2019 saw the National Secular Society complain that a ‘highly vulnerable’ patient ‘felt discomfort at the use of prayer’ by Dr Scott.
In 2022, Dr Scott was ordered by NHS bosses to attend an education course designed for doctors facing allegations of having sex with patients, despite facing no such accusations himself.
He refused to undergo the three-day ‘maintaining professional boundaries’ course and accused health chiefs of an ‘outrageous’ attempt to ‘humiliate’ him.
Despite being cleared after a General Medical Council (GMC) probe, NHS England continued a separate inquiry and ordered him to go on the £1,800 course at his own expense.
Dr Scott said at the time: ‘It was essentially aimed at sexual miscreants. There was nothing that I could see was relevant to me. I was outraged.’
Meanwhile NHS England said the course was applicable as it covers a ‘wide range of professional boundaries’.
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