A kidney specialist who offered to cook a 19-year-old student his ‘famous chilli’ while pursuing an improper emotional relationship has been suspended for three months.
Dr Colin Millar, 52, claimed he was trying to fill a void in his life while treating the young woman for a long-term health condition at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The consultant swapped phone numbers, exchanged personal text messages and paid social visits to her hospital room between January and October 2012, a hearing was told.
He invited her for a long coastal walk and even sent her three rubber ducks as a 20th birthday present after she told him she wanted to get an anchor tattoo.
The woman complained to the hospital after Dr Millar sent her a text which said “love you”, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service heard.
A Fitness to Practise panel said Dr Millar’s explanation that he had pursued the attractive and vivacious young woman to fill a void in his social life was unconvincing.
MPTS panel chairman Dr Peter Jefferys told Dr Millar there was a chance he would repeat his misconduct and could put “patients at risk” in the future.
He could have been struck off, but the panel had seen evidence of Dr Millar’s insight and had received a number of testimonials from his colleagues, which indicated he was a good doctor.
He added: “In the circumstances of this case, it is not persuaded that your misconduct was so serious or widespread that your misconduct was fundamentally incompatible with continued registration.
“Therefore, the sanction of erasure would be disproportionate and inappropriate.
“The panel has determined that a three month period of suspension from the medical register would be appropriate, proportionate and sufficient.
“It adequately protects the public, will act as a deterrent and will send out a signal to you, the profession and the public about what is regarded as behaviour unbefitting of a registered medical practitioner.”
Dr Millar, who has 27 years’ medical experience, has been barred from examining female patients without a chaperone since last May.
His three-month suspension will take force in 28 days and he must attend a review hearing towards the end of the ban before he is allowed back to unrestricted work.