North Herts ex-doctor had boundary training before sex offence
Angus Brooke, who used to live in Stevenage, has been struck off the medical register
A former doctor has admitted having a “real and serious difficulty in maintaining boundaries” and attended boundary training before committing a sex offence.
Angus Brooke, who used to live in Stevenage, has been struck off the medical register.
In June 2017, at the Knebworth and Marymead Medical Practice where he worked, the 50-year-old kissed his vulnerable patient – referred to in the case as Patient A – in a consultation room.
He then masturbated in front of the patient before encouraging her to masturbate him.
Hertfordshire Constabulary investigated, and on November 4, 2022, St Albans Crown Court sentenced Brooke to seven months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.
He was also ordered to pay the victim £2,500 in compensation, and have his name on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Between July 10 and July 13 this year, Brooke faced a Medical Practitioners Tribunal, and the panel agreed his conviction should result in his “erasure” from the medical register.
“The tribunal concluded that the nature and circumstances of the conviction are so grave and reprehensible if a finding of impaired fitness to practice was not made, and there would be a clear failure to uphold proper professional standards and conduct for the members of the profession,” a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) report concludes.
“A finding of impairment is necessary to protect and promote the safety and wellbeing of the public, promote and maintain public confidence in the profession, and promote and maintain proper professional standards.”
Former doctor Brooke drove patient home after incident
Brooke’s victim attended the surgery for a consultation, due around 6.10pm.
He had sent staff home for the day because, according to Brooke, the patient was running late and he “felt it unreasonable that the staff should be there when I was not certain she would turn up let alone the length of the consultation”.
The report sets out that at one point, once Brooke had taken his penis out of his trousers, he took Patient A’s hand and placed it on his penis.
“Patient A says she froze at this point and pushed Dr Booke away,” the MPTS report reads.
“Patient A then left the room, and as she was leaving the surgery, Dr Brooke insisted on driving her home.
“The tribunal found that Dr Brooke had been acquainted with Patient A, having treated her as a patient at the surgery for some years previously.
“Patient A further stated that Dr Brooke had in fact diagnosed her with a ‘sex and love addiction’ as well as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder.
“The tribunal found Patient A is a vulnerable victim by virtue of her mental health disorder, and further that as her treating GP, Dr Brooke was aware of this.”
Brooke was no longer working at the surgery when Patient A reported the incident in 2018.
The tribunal considered Patient A’s victim impact statement which was presented to St Albans Crown Court.
“All through my life I have struggled to trust people,” she said.
“I should have been able to trust you, Dr Brooke.
“You should have been the sort of person to show me kindness, guidance, support, and as your patient, you should have acted in my best interests.”
She added her ex-husband felt “really guilty” he had not been able to help her, and that they are no longer together, with Brooke’s actions a potential factor in their breakup.
‘I had a real and serious difficulty maintaining boundaries’
Brooke provided a lengthy written submission to the MPTS, claiming to have had a “tendency to being disinhibited”.
He pointed to a previous investigation into his behaviour from 2014, which was linked with “a history of boundary transgressions” in the workplace.
“I believe this clearly shows the difficulties I was having in maintaining professional boundaries,” he said.
“At one point or another over the 17 years I practised, I received support from fellow GPs in maintaining my professional boundaries in the form of weekly to monthly tutorials.
“These were not serious complaints but more of inappropriate comments or not recognising the emotional state of a patient and inadvertently upsetting them.
“It is clear, therefore, with reflection and hindsight, I had a real and serious difficulty in maintaining boundaries and expectations both inside and outside of the general practice.”
Brooke explained: “I attended a three-day boundary course in 2014, along with numerous courses on boundaries and consent.”
He said he “did not plan at any point inappropriate activity” with Patient A.
Brooke said his actions were “spontaneous” and he felt “very confused” afterwards.
“Having a tendency to being disinhibited made me the sort of doctor people wanted to see,” he added.
“You could share anything with me as I had a very relaxed demeanour, however, it also meant I found it difficult to set my own boundaries, relying almost entirely on the patient to set them for me.”
Brooke, who lived in Park Lane in Stockport near Manchester when he was sentenced last year, applied for “voluntary erasure”.
The MPTS report reads: “The tribunal took into account … significant efforts he had applied over the years to attempt to rectify his inappropriate disinhibited behaviour.”
But the panel felt there were no exceptional circumstances to grant former doctor Brooke voluntary erasure, instead agreeing to strike him from the register at the end of the hearing.