The case in summary: A doctor in Møre og Romsdal lost his right to practice 20 years ago, after scratching three patients. He regained his authorization in 2011, but now risks losing his medical title for the second time. This time he is to blame for mixing the roles of doctor and private person. The doctor disagrees that there was a mix-up of roles. Over the past 20 years, the Norwegian Health Authority has investigated a number of doctors for what they call sexual transgressive behavior towards patients. 65 of them have lost their authorisation, or voluntarily given it up. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The doctor lost his authorization in 2005 after kissing and scratching three female patients. One of them also moved into his house, before he was deprived of his authorisation. Then almost 20 years passed. Before Christmas, a new woman raised the alarm after seeing the doctor. By then he had regained his authorization and became a substitute doctor in Møre og Romsdal. Shortly after the doctor’s visit, she is said to have received a text message in which the newly appointed substitute doctor asked about suggestions for trips in the area, and asked her to join. She accepted the invitation. On the trip, the doctor is said to have told several crude jokes, and asked to come home with her. – We have found no reason to doubt what is recorded in the medical record about the doctor’s meeting with the woman and her experience of it, says county doctor Karin Müller Mikaelsen. Now he is being investigated by the Norwegian Health Authority for mixing up the roles of doctor and private person. He recently received notice that he risks losing his authorization in whole or in part once again. County doctor Karin Müller Mikaelsen in Møre og Romsdal believes that what the patient tells is credible. Photo: Sissel Beate Brunstad / news – Having gone through a long and deep process The substitute doctor in Midt-Norway does not recognize himself in the presentation to the patient in Møre og Romsdal, and thinks he tried to help her. The Norwegian Health Authority assesses the case differently and emphasizes, among other things, that he has previously lost his authorisation. The doctor admits to having invited the patient along for the trip, but claims that it was she who took the initiative to tell crude jokes. He believes it was right that he got his authorization back in 2011 and was thus able to continue accepting patients. – I went through a long and deep process, so, yes, I think so. This time he is to blame for mixing the roles of doctor and private person. – I disagree that there was a mix-up of roles. For me, it was about the use of other, social therapeutic tools in an attempt to rehabilitate a destroyed relationship between the patient and the healthcare system, he wrote to news in an e-mail. This is how the doctor explains what happened The doctor in Midt-Noreg wrote in an email to news that he received the woman at the doctor’s office and that she opened up to him. – Good at listening The doctor writes that the patient should have been encouraged to go precisely to him “because the secretary thought I was good at listening”. The doctor writes further: “She said in the consultation, among other things, that she went for a lot of walks and was happy to be outside. Since I was new to the area and wanted to get my bearings, I later asked her on the phone if she would recommend a hiking area. She would love to. When I asked if she wanted to join the trip, she happily agreed. For me, this falls under social therapy and relationship building, the motive was to try to keep the relationship open and “active”. Claims the patient told a crude joke When they later met to go for a walk, the patient must have told crude jokes. That led him to follow up: “The intention of telling some jokes that were on the edge, but not as rough as the one she had told, was to keep the communication going with the help of laughter which can also help dissolve negative thoughts. This thought-dissolving effect of humor has e.g. gave rise to the expression gallows humor”. During the trip, the patient was told that she had many trees and bushes outside the house. The doctor writes that he therefore asked to come home and see them: “Then she said she had another appointment, and she then seemed different and withdrawn. ” – Had good intentions. The doctor goes on to write that it is unfortunate that a situation has arisen which the patient experiences as inappropriate and burdensome: “I have no bad conscience for my initiative, because I did it out of a pure and honest will to help the patient in a very difficult situation for her. But I’m deeply sorry that we didn’t get it done as planned, but I’m happy to know that she’s still in contact with the medical center and hopefully getting the help she needs.” This corresponds to what the doctor has explained to the State Administrator in Møre og Romsdal in the summer of 2023. Move to the doctor’s house and sleep naked in his bed. Over the past 20 years, the Norwegian Health Authority has investigated a number of Norwegian doctors for what they call sexual transgressive behavior towards patients. Even with the fact that 65 of them lost their authorization or voluntarily gave it up. This is revealed in a recent survey carried out by news. But the survey also shows that after a while over a third of the doctors got their authorization back. The substitute doctor from Midt-Norway is one of them. It was less than four years before he could put on the doctor’s coat again. When he lost his authorization the first time, four different patients told of him kissing and hugging them. One must have moved to his house and slept naked in his bed. Another explained that he locked the office door during a consultation, took her on the chest and asked to feel her abdomen. Assistant director of the National Health Inspectorate, Heidi Merete Rudi, says they emphasized, among other things, that the doctor accepted treatment when he got his authorization back. – Emphasis was placed on the time that had passed, that the doctor was still receiving treatment and that there were no new conditions registered in the two years he had worked with limited authorisation, writes Rudi in an e-mail to news. She also writes that, on a general basis, the Norwegian Health Authority looks very seriously at cases where new debts are incurred against healthcare personnel, who have previously received an administrative reaction. Assistant director of the Norwegian Health Authority, Heidi Merete Rudi, says they have changed practice and now more doctors are reporting to the police. Photo: Morten Waagø / news I think it may be too easy to get the authorization back Jannicke Bruvik is the national patient and user ombudsman. She is surprised that 24 out of 65 doctors got their authorization back after being guilty of sexually transgressing acts against patients. – Yes, it seems that it is too simple, unfortunately. None of these who have committed abuse can say that they did not know this was wrong, she says. She wonders how many times it should be possible to miss the authorization and says it is very difficult to protect against abuse if healthcare personnel wish to break the boundaries. – You are completely dependent on the doctors knowing how to behave, she says. Rejects that it is too easy The Norwegian Health Authority rejects, on a general basis, that it is too easy to get authorization back after crossing sexual boundaries. In an email to news, they write that there are several challenges with the case management that they are actively working to improve. – In many of the cases, it is never appropriate to grant a new authorization. But the former health personnel are under the law free to apply for a new authorization at any time, writes assistant director Heidi Merete Rudi Rudi in the Norwegian Health Authority. Jannicke Bruvik is the national patient and user representative. She believes that it is very difficult to protect oneself against abuse if health personnel wish to break the boundaries. Photo: Arne Stubhaug / news “– A traumatizing experience” The doctor wrote to news that he is no longer in work, and that his last substitute job was last year. When asked what he thinks about the fact that he may lose his authorization for the second time, the substitute doctor answers as follows: – In general, losing your authorization is a traumatizing experience, I think all doctors experience that, he writes to news.
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A doctor in central Norway risks losing his medical title for the second time – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
