A doctor who allegedly videoed himself having sex with a patient took the woman’s virginity, a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal hearing heard today.

The woman’s mother testified that after her daughter told her it was the first time she had had sex, she told her daughter it was “just not right”.

“I said that he was a professional who had taken advantage of her.”

She said she encouraged her daughter to ask the doctor for money after she returned penniless from Australia, where she had followed him at his request.

The doctor, who has interim name suppression and is known as Dr H, had an affair with the young woman and is alleged to have paid her $35,000 in a bid to get her to withdraw allegations she made to the health and disability commissioner.

He allegedly made a video of having sex with the woman, whose name is permanently suppressed.

The tribunal heard evidence from the woman in private yesterday, as well as viewing the video.

The open hearing resumed today with the patient’s father giving evidence.

He told of his daughter’s relationship with Dr H and her distress over the sexual connection.

He said Dr H emailed him “expressing a wish to communicate and advising that he believed that as [the patient’s] father there were details I might need to know that would be ‘detrimental to all of us'”.

The father said he consulted a lawyer and made no further contact with Dr H.

He told the tribunal that his relationship with his daughter had been strained.

She had said Dr H had been helpful and had asked her to visit him for a meal.

He said he told his daughter it was not appropriate.

“[The patient] commented that there was no problem as ‘it was just a friendship’ and initially seemed unwilling to accept what I had to say.”

His daughter later told her mother that she had had sex with the doctor.

“I was concerned that Dr H had some emotional hold over a vulnerable [patient] and was using his knowledge of her mental condition to his advantage,” he said.

The patient later joined Dr H in Australia, where the doctor’s wife found out about the affair and paid for the patient to return to New Zealand.

“[She] came and stayed with us for a while immediately after her return,” the father said.

“She was very distressed by the events that had unfolded and frequently referred to feeling dirty.”

She had been struggling financially in Australia.

“When [she] returned home she literally had nothing.”

In June 2009, the father and mother wrote to Dr H expressing concerns about the impact the relationship had had on their daughter.

Dr H is charged with professional misconduct with the particulars including allegations that he:

– Failed to set or maintain professional boundaries.

– Entered into a sexual relationship with the woman.

– Prescribed fluoxetine (Prozac) to her without adequate justification.

– Discharged her by telephone.

– Paid the woman $20,000 after she complained to the health and disability commissioner.

– Paid her another $15,000 after the Medical Council told him it was “unwise” to provide material assistance to a former patient.

– Encouraged the woman to mislead the health and disability commissioner about the nature of their relationship.

The hearing continues.

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