A doctor facing allegations he inappropriately asked a Muslim woman to remove her veil is facing being struck off after he repeatedly criticised patients’ lack of English speaking skills in their medical notes.
Dr Keith Wolverson, 55, faces being struck off after criticising the language ability of 15 patients in their medical notes from January to April 2018.
He is also facing claims he asked and caused a woman to remove her veil in May 2018, he says so he could hear what was wrong with her little girl.
Dr Wolverson is now subject of a tribunal to decide whether he can continue as a medical professional.
The Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service is investigating claims that he made comments about the language skills of other patients, is accused of providing false information about how he cared for those in hospital, and failed to safeguard a seven-month old baby who was a patient, among other complaints.
The General Medical Council has no specific guidelines on how to examine women wearing full-face veils.
Dr Keith Wolverson, 55, is accused of asking woman to remove her veil in surgery in May 2018
The Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service is also investigating claims that he made comments about the language skills of other patients
The comments Dr Wolverson wrote on patient notes included ‘I do not understand a word these parents are saying!!!’ and ‘They need to learn better English!!’
He is also alleged to have written ‘Mother has been here fro [sic] 5 years and speaks no English. Explained this to Mother as best that One could but is it Her duty to learn more ENGLISH*BEING HERE FOR 5 YEARS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS WRONG WITH Her Daughter, IS, FRANKLY, NOT GOOD ENOUGH.’
The tribunal relating to Dr Wolverson, who now works in a private Botox clinic in High Street in Melbourne, is being held in Manchester and is set to conclude on Friday, March 4.
The MPTS website, which lists tribunals across the country, said: ‘The tribunal will inquire into the allegation that, on one or more occasions between January and April 2018, Dr Wolverson recorded inappropriate comments about English language skills in the medical records of several patients.
‘It is also alleged that, on 22 March, 2018, he failed to take appropriate steps to safeguard a child and failed to record his actions relating to that child.
‘It is alleged that on 13 May 2018, Dr Wolverson caused a patient to remove her veil, spoke to her in a hostile and/or intimidating manner and refused to communicate with her husband.
‘During an interview about the matters set out above, it is alleged that Dr Wolverson made further inappropriate comments about patients and provided false information about his actions.’
Stoke-on-Trent Live reported in 2019 that the allegations saw Dr Wolverson, who qualified as a doctor in 1996, dropped by health firm Vocare from his job at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Dr Keith Wolverson, 55, faces being struck off if the allegations are proved against him
But in an interview in 2019, Dr Wolverson told the Daily Mail that he asked the patient to remove her veil ‘in the same way I’d ask a motorcyclist to remove a crash helmet’ and added that even if he was permitted to return to the NHS, he would be unlikely to do so.
Meanwhile, a change.org petition in support of Dr Wolverson attracted over 133,000 signatures before it closed.
The GMC offers no specific guidelines on how doctors should deal with women wearing full-face veils – though medical staff are obliged to remove them if a patient requests.
However, in a statement, the body told Stoke-on-Trent Live: ‘Our guidance makes it clear that we expect to treat patients’ beliefs and choice of religious dress with respect.
‘If, having exhausted all possible communication approaches, a doctor cannot provide safe care without seeing a woman’s face, they can sensitively explore whether she would be willing to remove her face covering.
‘Should this cause her distress, the doctor will need to continue with other channels of communication.
‘If a doctor follows this guidance and treats patients politely, honestly, and with sensitivity, then they have nothing to fear from being referred to the GMC.’
The findings of the tribunal will be released within 28 days of its conclusion.
