Ex-Dr Steven Lomax was last month summarily struck off from the UK register of doctors by the General Medical Council in London.
In this exceptional hearing, the GMC ruled that the former senior psychiatrist, who used to work as the Director of the Castel Hospital in Guernsey:
- had an inappropriate emotional and sexual relationship with his patient, Michele Mauger;
- had apparently destroyed her medical records;
- had brought the medical profession into disrepute.
How do I know all this? The victim of this egregious abuse, Michele Mauger, is my mother.
The GMC made an exception to hear this case in the light of the severity of the abuse and the overwhelming prima facie evidence of Lomax’s guilt. Cases older than 5 years are usually not investigated. Michele’s abuse began over 23 years ago.
In a resounding condemnation, the GMC stated that he had “blatantly transgressed” the boundaries governing the doctor/patient relationship and that he had caused “irreparable damage both to the patient and her family”.
There has been some coverage in the media. Perhaps the most accurate reflection of what happened can be found in the Guernsey Press: Download Guernsey_Press_front_page, Download Guernsey_Press_Interview.
The governing body of the Guernsey hospitals, the Board of Health, would also appear to have some serious questions to answer.
Michele recently did an excellent interview on BBC Radio4: Woman’s Hour, that encapsulated the core issues around this type of professional abuse. The interview is at the beginning of the show — listen here.