A doctor facing allegations he inappropriately asked a Muslim woman to remove her veil is at risk of being disbarred after repeatedly criticizing patients’ lack of English skills in their medical notes.
Dr Keith Wolverson, 55, is at risk of being disbarred after criticizing the language ability of 15 patients in their medical notes from January to April 2018.
He is also facing allegations he requested and forced a woman to remove her veil in May 2018, he says so he could hear what was wrong with his baby girl.
Dr Wolverson is now facing a court to decide if he can continue as a medical professional.
The Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service is investigating allegations that he made comments about the language skills of other patients, was accused of providing false information about how he cared for those in hospital and did not failed to protect 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 the full veil.
Dr Keith Wolverson, 55, is accused of asking a woman to remove her veil in surgery in May 2018
The Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service is also investigating allegations that he made comments about the language skills of other patients.
Comments Dr. Wolverson wrote on the patients’ notes included “I don’t understand a word these parents are saying!!!” and ‘They need to learn better English!!’
He is also accused of writing ‘Mother has been here for [sic] 5 years old and does not speak English. I explained this to Mother as best one could but is it her duty to learn more ENGLISH * BEING HERE FOR 5 YEARS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER GIRL, IS, HOLY, NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
The court hearing over Dr Wolverson, who now works at a private Botox clinic in Melbourne’s High Street, is being held in Manchester and is due to end on Friday March 4.
The MPTS website, which lists courts across the country, said: ‘The court will investigate the allegation that on one or more occasions between January and April 2018, Dr Wolverson recorded inappropriate comments about skills in English in the medical records of several patients. .
“It is also alleged that on March 22, 2018, he failed to take appropriate steps to protect a child and failed to record his actions regarding that child.
“It is alleged that on May 13, 2018, Dr Wolverson forced 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 on the matters set out above, it is alleged that Dr. Wolverson made other 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 graduated as a doctor in 1996, being sacked by health company Vocare from his job at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Dr Keith Wolverson, 55, faces disbarment if allegations against him are proven
But in a 2019 interview, Dr Wolverson told the Daily Mail he had asked the patient to remove her veil “in the same way that I would ask a motorcyclist to remove a crash helmet” and added that even if he were allowed to return to the NHS he is unlikely to do so.
Meanwhile, a change.org petition in support of Dr Wolverson attracted more than 133,000 signatures before it was shut down.
The GMC offers no specific guidelines on how doctors should treat women wearing full-face veils – although medical staff are obliged to remove them if a patient requests it.
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, after exhausting all possible communication approaches, a doctor cannot safely provide care without seeing a woman’s face, he can sensitively explore whether she would be willing to remove her mask.
“If this causes him distress, the doctor will have to continue with other channels of communication.
“If a doctor follows this advice and treats patients with politeness, honesty and sensitivity, he has nothing to fear from being referred to the GMC.”
The tribunal’s findings will be published within 28 days of its conclusion.
