Latest news with #patientabuse
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Southern California nurse accused of unlawful sexual conduct involving incapacitated patients
A Southern California nurse was arrested for allegedly engaging in unlawful sexual conduct with incapacitated patients under his care. Francisco Gallegos Loaiza is a licensed vocational nurse who provided in-home care to residents in the San Fernando Valley and the greater L.A. area, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. After investigating reports of unlawful sexual conduct, police identified the victims as incapacitated patients who were reportedly under Loaiza's care. Detectives are searching for more information and additional victims who have not come forward. Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Foothill Detectives at 818-834-3115 from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Outside business hours, the public can also call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Middlesex County doctor also sexually assaulted patients in Monmouth, Essex, AG says
A Middlesex County doctor previously charged with multiple counts of sexual contact with patients is facing additional charges following a state investigation. Dr. Gurvindra Johal, 57, of Colonia, has been charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, 11 counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, and one count each of fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records and destruction, falsification, or alteration of records pertaining to medical care, state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced. Johal was charged in 2023 with sexual misconduct at Amboy Urgent Care in Perth Amboy. The new additional charges include three alleged crimes in Essex County, and two patients allegedly assaulted in Monmouth County, according to the Attorney General's Office. Police began investigating allegations of criminal sexual contact by a victim who said her doctor, Johal, touched her inappropriately at Amboy Urgent Care. The investigation uncovered other victims who allegedly were similarly touched inappropriately at that facility, as well as victims that were allegedly sexually assaulted, according to Platkin. The investigation found additional victims of sexual assault and criminal sexual contact who were treated by Johal at an urgent care facility in Newark, as well as victims of criminal sexual contact who were treated by at a facility in Freehold, Platkin said. 'This case illustrates the importance of cooperation with local law enforcement, as we were able to identify a serial offender who violated patients' trust across county lines,' stated Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa Hilton. 'Taking advantage of the doctor-patient relationship for sexual gratification, as is charged in this case, is completely unacceptable and will be met with the full force of our office.' Johal has also been charged with filing a false statement in a letter to an insurance carrier in response to the carrier's investigation of inappropriate touching claims and allegedly altering medical records after the fact to indicate that a medical assistant was present in the room during an examination, which was not part of the original medical record. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of 5 to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Fourth-degree offenses could lead to up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. This article originally appeared on Middlesex NJ doctor sexually assaulted patients in Monmouth, Essex: AG
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Anger over ‘light touch' sanction for doctor who had sexual relationship with teenage patient
A vulnerable patient has hit out at the 'light touch' punishment given to a doctor who had an inappropriate sexual relationship with her while she was a teenager. Dr Cian Hughes met the girl in hospital in 2011 after observing her surgical procedure at Bristol Children's Hospital when she was aged just 13 and went on to start a sexual relationship with her four years later. Dr Hughes, a 23-year-old fourth-year medical student at the University of Bristol when the pair met, was last week suspended for misconduct. But the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service did not strike him off, despite pleas from the General Medical Council. The victim, patient A, has now hit out at the sanction and accused the panel of denying her a voice after she was not allowed to give oral evidence. She told The Independent: 'The penalty feels very light touch for the impact he's had and the things he has done to me. My confidence in the medical profession is pretty much non-existent. 'I think [the sanction] is too lax. This case isn't just about me and him. There's nothing you can do to undo what he did and what happened. The reason I followed through with this for the last five years has been about making sure that other doctors don't do it to other patients.' The woman, who suffers from PTSD, added that her physical disability was not highlighted by the tribunal panel as an aggravating factor, but she believes it should have been. '[This], along with the age gap, my mental health at the time, the way we met, how much I trusted him and my naivety around relationships contributed to a very unhealthy power imbalance,' she claimed. 'The long-term consequences of his actions for me are potentially going to be lifelong.' During the MPTS hearing, thousands of messages between Dr Hughes and the young woman were presented, as well as a written statement. Dr Hughes's defence said the relationship between the medic and Patient A was 'a very loving relationship'. Patient A, meanwhile, said he was 'a very capable and kind mannered medical professional' but claimed 'behind the bedroom door, he was a different person' which she said was not displayed in the text messages. Patient A told The Independent she was clear to the MPTS that she could and wanted to give evidence, but was denied this. According to MPTS rules, victims of doctors facing sexual misconduct claims are not always called to give oral evidence unless the panel or the doctor ask for them to be. Witnesses are only called to give live evidence where their evidence is disputed by a party of required by the tribunal. She added: 'I came away feeling more traumatised, especially since I had always said I wanted to give oral evidence. '[The MPTS's] process is victim-hostile. This process doesn't allow me to have a voice or even be treated as a victim by the MPTS.' In its determination of the sanction, the MPTS tribunal said that Dr Hughes' misconduct 'was serious and warranted a significant response to mark its gravity.' However, in determining that suspension was more appropriate than being banned from the profession, it highlighted mitigating factors including the medic's admissions, apology and 'well-developed insight, remediation and remorse'. It said it accepted Dr Hughes's lawyer's submissions that this was a 'nuanced' case and 'distinguished from other cases of sexual misconduct where erasure was required.' The panel also said that although Dr Hughes had 'abused his professional position' and started an 'improper relationship with a vulnerable patient', it was found that he did not exploit her vulnerability. In submissions, the GMC argued Dr Hughes had shown a 'blatant disregard' for the guidance around inappropriate relationships. However, the MPTS panel accepted the doctor's argument that he had 'persuaded himself' that the guidance 'permitted the relationship.' During the hearing, it was revealed the medic is also facing undertakings by the Irish Medical Council. The IMC would not confirm any details of the complaint; however, conditions listed on its register say: 'Dr Hughes is subject to an undertaking that he will, inter alia, not afford any treatment to certain patient groups except under specified conditions.' Rebecca Cox, co-founder of campaign group Surviving in Scrubs, which has campaigned against sexual assault within the NHS, said the group was 'dismayed' to see 'another weak sanction' from the MPTS. She added: 'Sadly, this fits with a trend of sanction decisions that do not reflect the severity of the case or distress caused to victims. The MPTS repeatedly fail victims of sexual misconduct and violence.' Dr Cox said the lack of opportunity for victims to voice their testimony is an issue that has been raised many times. Professor Carrie Newlands, consultant surgeon, co-lead for the working party on sexual misconduct in surgery at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, said: 'This is yet another case of misconduct by a doctor against someone vulnerable with a significant power imbalance, and where despite the GMC recommending erasure, the MPTS have again given a lesser sanction.' She said the suspension of a doctor for such 'egregious behaviour' is incompatible with the GMC's zero tolerance approach to sexual misconduct and incompatible with MPTS guidance, which states more serious action, such as being struck off, is likely to be appropriate in sexual misconduct cases. In 2020, Patient A made a report to the police; however, in April 2021, the investigation was closed with no further no further. Reacting to the tribunal's suspension, a spokesperson for the GMC said it would consider whether there are grounds for appeal against the MPTS decision, but said the 12-month suspension was still a 'significant sanction for Dr Hughes.' Dr Hughes was approached for comment through his lawyers.
Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
‘If I die, it's your fault': Life as a GP receptionist in Britain's broken health system
I could see the white foam at the edge of his mouth. As he ranted, his face was red and his teeth were clenched and he was moving closer to the partition. Genuinely, he looked like a cartoon character, like when they get consumed with rage. As a GP's receptionist, I'm not easily intimidated, but he terrified me. I hit the panic button under the desk. This was a guy who'd phoned the surgery that morning to ask for his fit note to be extended. I didn't have an appointment to give him that day. When I'd said it would need to be tomorrow, the abuse had started. 'You have no right to tell me I'm not getting my note,' he said, calling me horrible, horrible names down the line. Then he said: 'Just you wait, I'm going to come down and see you shortly,' and hung up the phone. I didn't really think anything of it because you get those threats sometimes – I'd say five or six times every single day, I'm called a name or sworn at. F---ing b---- is a favourite, or the C-word. But something in his voice made me and my colleague lock the door to our office, just in case. Then the gentleman appeared at the desk. I think if that door hadn't been locked it could have been a very different scenario. Thankfully the police came quickly, but I was shaking for the rest of the day. 'I've had to develop a thick skin' I work in a relatively small practice in the north of the UK with little over 5,000 patients. Since the pandemic, the demand for appointments has probably doubled, I'd say, and with it the abuse we get on the front desk. I've had to hit the panic button only twice before, but I've had to develop a pretty thick skin to the daily verbal abuse. On reception we are the front line. I don't like the C-word but I was more sensitive when I started. Now, the regular name-calling, it just bounces off. What I don't like are the threats. My colleague got told recently when she couldn't give an appointment: 'F--- off, I might be dead next week and it'll be your fault.' I've had that a few times. I had it on a Friday afternoon when a patient wanted to see the doctor to arrange medication, but it wasn't urgent. They said: 'Well, if I die, it's your fault.' And I thought, why say that to somebody? I've got to go home at the end of the day, I'm a person as well. I wouldn't dream of saying that to anybody. Your stomach kind of does somersaults and it stays with you. It stayed with me all that weekend when I was trying to spend time with the kids. Your tolerance builds up but some days, it can cut deep, and I think to myself, 'I'm only trying to help you.' My husband knows nine times out of 10 just by looking at me when I come in whether it's got to me. He'll say to the kids, 'Just give Mum half an hour to de-stress.' I'll go to the bedroom and shower, put my comfies on, usually it'll take just 40 minutes and I'm all right after that, but I have also sat down with him and cried. I'd say a lot of the increased demand we face is driven by the need for fit notes now, and a lot of the abuse, too. Generally people want them for mental health, or for a bad back, a bad hip, either because they can't work, or need to claim benefits. The number of fit notes our doctors do on a weekly basis is ridiculous. On a Monday, we'll get 25 or 30 calls for them to be reviewed, then it's 20 or 25 every day for the rest of the week, and we're a relatively small surgery. 'Monday morning is like going into battle' The other thing that often angers people is when I ask what their problem is. I don't need all the details, I'm only asking to check whether it's an emergency, or if they need to see the nurse, or the physiotherapist, rather than the doctor. It goes 50-50 – patients tell you far too much, or they really don't like it, and those people can become abusive. The other day, I was told I was a 'f---ing nosy b----'. I didn't argue. It can be well worthwhile asking. I had someone the other week demanding an emergency GP appointment and they had a verruca. They were signposted to the pharmacy but weren't happy. A Monday morning does feel like going into battle, needing to get your armour on. I usually get in for 6.40am to get on top of emails and prepare. Receptionists have a lot of admin too; I'll have 100 doctor letters to read on a Monday alone, usually 400 in a week. There'll be three of us across three phones and I'll say to the others just before 8am, 'I don't want to press the button.' It's like, what are we going to get today? Then it's constant for an hour across the three phones, and on one for the rest of the day. I have every sympathy when people are struggling to make appointments, I really do. I want to give them; I want to treat people like I would my own grandfather. When I phone my own surgery, I face the same issues. We genuinely need more GPs – actually, we need a new building; it doesn't have space for more. On a Monday morning, appointments will be gone in 30 minutes, and waits for routine issues can be two weeks. I know it's normal for people to get particularly agitated when they're in pain or anxious, too. If I have somebody on the phone who is obviously unwell, they will get dealt with that day. I know that if it's someone who doesn't come to us very often and they obviously felt they were ill enough to phone, they need to see a doctor. We do get the frequent fliers, though. The people who phone us every second day, where it's almost like a hobby. And they always seem to get through first, I don't know how they do it. But I get too that people are suffering more health anxiety. That seems to have been worse since Covid. I honestly love my job, which I realise sounds surprising. I've been doing it for the best part of a decade and have a great relationship with so many of our regular patients. I'll go above and beyond for them. I've delivered prescriptions to people who can't get out. You get emotionally attached; I've been to patients' funerals before. Sometimes, when I can see that the carer of an ill patient needs to talk, I'll bring them into the office and allow them to let out how they're feeling so they can go back with their game face on. Reading a doctor's letter and realising a patient has cancer is very, very hard. All the same, I can't produce appointments from nowhere. I get people's frustrations, I do, but my colleagues and I do genuinely want to help. And we're only the people on the front desk. As told to Emily Retter
News.com.au
30-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
‘Best orgasm of your life': NSW doctor massaged patient, ‘tweaked' nipples, made sexual comments
A NSW doctor inappropriately massaged a patient, groped her breasts and 'tweaked' her nipples, and made sexualised comments including that he could give her 'the best orgasm of your life' before buying her an Aldi bag of groceries to say sorry, a tribunal has found. Dr Sharwan Narayan, 45, was prosecuted by the Health Care Complaints Commission before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), which this month found him guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct. The alleged incidents occurred between February and April 2020 while Dr Narayan was working at Moruya Medical Centre on the NSW south coast. The tribunal upheld complaints that on various occasions, Dr Narayan inappropriately touched the woman, identified as 'Patient A', inappropriately hugged her and made inappropriate sexualised comments. Patient A, now 31, first came under the care of Dr Narayan in January 2020 after seriously injuring her knee from falling on gravel. She was referred to the clinic by Moruya District Hospital. When she returned to the medical centre the following month to have her dressing changed, Dr Narayan suggested massage for her knee and told her he 'used to be a masseuse in Fiji and said he would book her in so he could massage it for therapy to make sure she did not get a deep vein thrombosis (DVT)', according to the tribunal's published decision. At her next appointment on February 11, Dr Narayan removed the dressing and massaged her knee for 10 to 15 minutes. At one appointment, Patient A, who disclosed that she was a sexual assault survivor, said Dr Narayan asked her to hug him. 'She thought it was a bit strange and she was a bit shocked,' the tribunal said. 'He did this for a few minutes.' The following week, she was lying down on the treatment table when Dr Narayan removed the dressing on her knee and started massaging her leg. She told the tribunal he 'pushed her dress up and massaged further up her leg so that his hands were quite close to her pubic area'. 'Patient A said she didn't say anything, she shut down. She had learned to disassociate during trauma she had suffered as a child. The massage lasted about 10 minutes.' He then told her he would perform a skin check, asking her to pull her dress down to her waist. 'Patient A said Dr Narayan started cupping her breasts,' the tribunal said. 'He tweaked or played with her nipples even though she had not said anything about having any issue with her nipples and considered that there was no need for him to examine them without wearing gloves. He said, 'Oh they're not hard', referring to her nipples. Patient A understood him to mean that she was not aroused. She froze and made a noncommittal response or noise, just waiting for it to be over which was in less than five minutes.' At her next appointment on March 13, Dr Narayan massaged her knee again. 'As he began moving up her leg towards her inner thigh, Dr Narayan started asking her about her sex life with her partner and whether her partner was able to give her orgasms,' the tribunal said. 'She said something like, 'No of course not.' Dr Narayan then touched the outside of her vagina. When Dr Narayan finished, he kept talking about 'sexual stuff'. He said it was a shame her partner was unable to give her an orgasm. He said he'd had a discussion with a lesbian couple and had taught them how to give each other the best orgasms.' Patient A told the tribunal she was thinking, 'What the hell is going on?', and realised Dr Narayan was acting inappropriately. 'Then he said, 'I can give you the best orgasm of your life,'' she said. 'I was like, 'OK.' He again asked me for a hug and I just stood there. I then left.' When she did not show up for a pre-booked appointment for a follow-up on a scan, she received a phone call from Dr Narayan, who asked why she hadn't come in for the appointment and apologised if he had made her uncomfortable at the last appointment. Dr Narayan asked Patient A to come to Batemans Bay Hospital that evening where he was working for a free DVT scan. 'Patient A said she felt more comfortable going to the hospital than the Centre possibly because there were more people there and security guards,' the tribunal said. 'At the hospital Dr Narayan gave her big blue Aldi shopping bag and said, 'This is for you. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable or I thought I may have made you feel uncomfortable so this is for you.' In the bag was a big tub of ice cream, kombucha, Dove moisturiser and chocolates. She estimated the contents would have cost more than $50. She thanked him.' Patient A did not return to the Centre until after Dr Narayan had left the practice. Counsel for Dr Narayan argued that Patient A's evidence was 'inexact, unclear, vague, lacking in detail and internally inconsistent', and highlighted a number of conflicting statements about the timeline of the alleged events. 'We do not consider that any of these matters impact adversely on the reliability of the evidence of Patient A,' the tribunal found. 'We add that we found Patient A an impressive witness who readily conceded when she was not able to remember something. We found Patient A to be candid and truthful when describing what she said Dr Narayan had done or said to her … we prefer the evidence of Patient A to the evidence of Dr Narayan where they conflict unless there is reliable contemporaneous evidence to the contrary.' The tribunal found that Dr Narayan's conduct was 'of a very serious nature and demonstrates a significant departure from accepted standards'. 'It is sufficiently serious to justify suspension or cancellation of his registration,' NCAT said. 'In arriving at this finding we take into account the following matters as indicators of the serious nature of that conduct. The Sexual Boundaries Code's definition of breaches of sexual boundaries includes the conduct of Dr Narayan — he conducted physical examinations which were not clinically indicated, he made sexual remarks, he touched Patient A in a sexual way and he used words and acted in a way that might reasonably be interpreted as being designed or intended to arouse or gratify sexual desire.' NCAT will determine protective orders following a further stage two hearing. Dr Narayan previously worked in medical imaging for 18 years before obtaining a Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Notre Dame in 2015. He was first registered to practice as a general practitioner in 2016 and was employed as a GP registrar at the Moruya Medical Centre from February 2019 to August 2020. The Medical Council of NSW suspended his registration in September 2020 based on a separate complaint. Three other complaints brought to NCAT by the HCCC in 2023 resulted in his registration being suspended for three months. He is currently working as a general practitioner on Norfolk Island, with conditions attached to his registration.
