By Liz Hollis
A doctor who groped a vulnerable patient and had sex with another is to be struck off the medical register.
Dr William Smerdon, who practised at Southgates Medical Practice and The Woottons Surgery in King’s Lynn and also in Bromley, Kent, had a sexual relationship with a woman he had met while she was an inpatient at an eating disorders clinic.
He touched and kissed a second patient in a “sexually motivated” way without her consent.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) has decided to erase Dr Smerdon from the medical register so he can no longer work as a doctor.
It also suspended Dr Smerdon with immediate effect so he can’t even practise during the 28-day period while he can appeal the finding.
The tribunal had already determined and found proved allegations of sexual misconduct against Dr Smerdon involving two patients.
It met again last week on 20 and 21 August to consider what action should now be taken.
On Friday, tribunal chair Adrian Phillips said: “The tribunal determined to erase the doctor’s name from the GMC register and imposed an immediate order of suspension to cover the 28-day appeal period.”
He said the tribunal’s decisions “on facts, impairment and sanction were handed down in private” but a version would be made public as soon as possible.
It has not been made public where exactly the sexual misconduct took place.
Alan Taylor, on behalf of the General Medical Council, told the hearing last week that the incidents involving the two patients happened seven years apart, while Dr Smerdon was working in an eating disorders unit and at a surgery.
“He had treated Patient A when she was an inpatient at an eating disorders unit and he knew she was vulnerable because of her mental health,” Mr Taylor told the tribunal.
He said Dr Smerdon had misused his position of power as a doctor for his own sexual gratification. He asked the tribunal to consider “the gravity of the misconduct” when deciding what action to take as a result.
The tribunal was told Dr Smerdon had texted one of the patients asking her not to tell anyone because he “could get into serious trouble and be struck off”.
Mr Taylor said this showed Dr Smerdon was aware that what he was doing was sexual misconduct.
The tribunal has already established that Dr Smerdon had a sexual relationship with Patient A between December 2012 and January 2013 while working at a hospital, referred to anonymously as Hospital C.
The tribunal found that on January 5, 2013, Dr Smerdon sent Patient A a text message saying: “…you’re a naughty girl. I’m not far off leaving now. Kissing u was amazing. I think u are absolutely gorgeous. Please bare (sic) in mind you are no longer my patient, but even still please please don’t tell anyone cos i could get into serious trouble and be struck off (no joke). To see me ‘on the outside’ would be fine”.
The tribunal heard previously that on November 6, 2019, while working at a medical centre, Dr Smerdon asked Patient B if she lived alone and was single and said she could book an appointment to see him even if she was not ill.
It found he kissed Patient B on the mouth using his tongue, put his hands under her jumper and onto her skin, and grabbed and hugged her.
The tribunal told Dr Smerdon that it had already established that he: “entered into a sexual relationship with Patient A in that you, on one or more occasions, engaged in sexual intercourse with Patient A.”
Dr Smerdon said to Patient A words, or words to the effect, that she had “really sexy veins”, kissed her and asked to exchange numbers with her. The tribunal established that Patient A was vulnerable due to her mental health at the time and that Dr Smerdon was aware of this.
It established that he touched Patient A over her clothes on her chest and bottom.
Later, after he stopped working at Hospital C, he told Patient A she could move to be with him and could start a new life with him.
Dr Smerdon told Patient A: “You need to eat more; I can still feel these bones, they need to go” – adding her body was a “skeleton”. He also allowed Patient A to stay at his flat.
The tribunal “determined and found proved” that Dr Smerdon told Patient B “If things go badly, you could get me into trouble by reporting me for having a relationship with a patient.”
The tribunal found his actions constituted sexual harassment. It also found that grabbing and hugging Patient B, kissing her on the cheek and mouth and touching her knee were sexually motivated and carried out without her consent.
Vivienne Tanchel told the tribunal Dr Smerdon had “continued to maintain his innocence” throughout the hearing process.
She said Dr Smerdon had made “all best efforts to remediate” going back a number of years and that the behaviour was unlikely to be repeated.
Remediation in an MPTS tribunal refers to steps taken by a doctor to address concerns about their knowledge, skills, conduct or behaviour.
