GP who admitted having a one-night stand with a vulnerable patient faces being struck off after tribunal finds her guilty of misconduct

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Dr Jean Paton-Ker (above), 41, confessed to sleeping with a recently jilted man suffering from depression after she gave him her mobile phone number during a consultation

A GP who had a secret one-night stand with a vulnerable patient faces being struck off after a medical tribunal found her guilty of misconduct.

Dr Jean Paton-Ker, 41, confessed to sleeping with a recently jilted man suffering from depression after she gave him her mobile phone number during a consultation.

The mother-of-one only revealed the affair to the General Medical Council (GMC) after her husband at the time threatened to do so himself when he found out five months later, the tribunal heard.

Yesterday a disciplinary panel found that Dr Paton-Ker downplayed how vulnerable the patient was while giving evidence. She had increased his dosage of anti-depressants.

The tribunal was also 'troubled' by the timing of her referring herself to the GMC, suggesting that her husband's threat to report her was a 'factor' in her decision to do so.

Dr Paton-Ker continued to see the 40-year-old patient professionally two more times in the months after they slept together in February 2014.

The panel further found that it could have been 'harmful' for the patient when he eventually had to change to another GP practice, preventing him from seeing his alcohol counsellor at the surgery.

Giving evidence earlier, Dr Paton-Ker told how she first met the patient in November 2013 when she started working at Shipston Medical Centre in Warwickshire.

She said it was during their consultations that she gave the middle-aged man, who was depressed after his girlfriend left him, her phone number as she was concerned he might harm himself.

He later texted her saying he was attracted to her, leading to a flurry of texts between the two over the next few months that ended with them arranging to meet for a drink.

In February 2014 the married doctor met him at a pub and later had sex with him.

The secret fling was only exposed when her husband, who is also a doctor, found the incriminating texts and threatened to report her to the GMC.

Dr Paton-Ker told how she first met the patient in November 2013 when she started working at Shipston Medical Centre (pictured) in Warwickshire

Dr Paton-Ker told the panel she was 'shocked' by her own behaviour and begged the panel not to suspend her from practising as she was 'dedicated' and loved being a GP.

Telling them it was just a one-off, she suggested it only happened because her own marriage was falling apart and she 'identified' with her heartbroken patient.

She said: 'I've never done anything remotely like that before or since. I accept responsibility for my actions absolutely. I had things going on but this was ultimately my responsibility to act as a professional and I didn't do that.

'I was just ashamed of my behaviour and really wanted to understand how I could have got myself in that position where I behaved so unprofessionally. I've not had the opportunity to apologise but I do.'

She added: 'My husband was understandably angry, I knew I would face suspension and was worried I wouldn't be able to support my daughter and he would get custody of her and my career would be over.'

Dr Paton-Ker told the hearing: 'This could never ever happen again, I'm genuinely appalled it happened in the first place. The fact it has happened has meant I've learned a lot. I'm confident that I'm able to practise safely.'

But yesterday a panel at the Medical Practitioner's Tribunal Service in Manchester concluded that her 'fitness to practise is impaired by reason of misconduct'.

Its ruling said: 'Having considered all the evidence and having regard to the guidance, the tribunal was satisfied that, notwithstanding your personal circumstances at the time that these events took place, the admitted facts in your case represent an extremely serious departure from acceptable standards of conduct and behaviour and undoubtedly amount to misconduct.'

While taking into account her 'insight and remorse', the panel said she 'had a number of opportunities to re-establish professional boundaries with Patient A and avoid' what happened.

It added: 'In your oral evidence you appeared to downplay concerns about Patient A's vulnerability, stating that you genuinely did not perceive him to be vulnerable and that when you met him for a drink in February he did not appear to be depressed.

'The tribunal considered that your insight into Patient A's vulnerability is limited.'

Although there was no evidence that the patient had been harmed, it noted that being forced to move GP surgeries could 'potentially have been harmful, and to his disadvantage, if he had not wanted to do so'.

The ruling added: 'The tribunal is also troubled by the timing of your self-referral to the GMC.

'It was not satisfied that your self-referral was prompted solely by your desire to take responsibility for your actions and it considered that the threat of your husband, now ex-husband, reporting you to the GMC was a factor in your decision.

'In your oral evidence, you stated that you genuinely believed that your husband would not have reported you.

'The tribunal considered that your initial misconduct was aggravated by the fact that you failed to disclose the incident to Dr A when you had the opportunity to do so, thereby placing Patient A in a situation where he was forced to consult you professionally on two further occasions.'

The panel will now decide what sanction to impose on Dr Paton-Ker. The hearing continues.