British neurosurgeon Chirag Patel suspended after having sex with female patient and prescribing her addictive painkillers

A top neurosurgeon has been suspended after a medical tribunal found he had sex with a vulnerable female patient and repeatedly prescribed her addictive painkillers without proper records or safeguards.Chirag Patel, a consultant at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, was suspended for eight months after admitting to a relationship and sending explicit images to patients and prescribing controlled drugs including diazepam and opioids. Patel first treated the woman, known as Patient A, in February 2019, when he had surgery to remove damaged disc tissue. He subsequently operated on her again in August 2019 and December 2021, inserting a spinal cord stimulator during the third surgery.Shortly after the initial surgery, the doctor began a sexual relationship with the patient, a relationship that continued throughout his clinical involvement. He later described the situation as something he “deeply regretted”.The relationship came under scrutiny in 2023 after it soured. The patient reported the matter to police, who then informed Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.Patel admitted the sexual relationship and exchange of explicit images, and accepted medications prescribed to the patient, including diazepam and morphine sulfate tablets.The tribunal said he showed a “reckless disregard for patient safety”, noting that he continued to prescribe controlled drugs even after missing appointments and failed to properly record treatment decisions.Patel believed patients could expose their relationship, which he claimed left him stressed and worried about losing his career.He said: “I was worried that if she did this, I might lose the job I loved and worked so hard to get. Given my profession, if I was unable to work, it would have a knock-on effect on other patients. In hindsight, I know I should still have ended the relationship and been honest with my employer. However, at the time I panicked and was unable to end the relationship – a decision I now deeply regret.”He also told the court the patient had previously asked for money and threatened to report him, claiming: “Patient A had previously asked for £11,000 but I didn’t have it so I offered to give her £5,000 from my savings.”Although Patel’s defense argued the relationship was marred by threats and blackmail, the court found that Patel’s misconduct was ongoing and constituted a serious breach of professional standards.Robin Kitching, a lawyer for the General Medical Council, argued the doctor should be struck off, saying there was a risk of repetition due to a lack of full understanding of his behaviour.However, the panel acknowledged that Patel had shown “genuine remorse, a high degree of insight and substantial remediation” which reduced the risk of him repeating the behaviour. It ruled that an eight-month pause was necessary to demonstrate the seriousness of the case and preserve public confidence.Cardiff and Vale University Health Board confirmed that Patel no longer works for the organization.