Court Refuses to Reinstate Privileges of Doctor Who Threatened Nurse

A doctor began a ‘friendship’ with a nurse at the hospital where they worked. But this friendship deteriorated and he became obsessed with her. After several incidents and a threatening letter he sent to the nurse, the hospital suspended his privileges based on safety concerns. The Health Professions Appeal and Review Board upheld the suspension of privileges and a court agreed. The doctor had subjected the nurse to workplace harassment and threats of violence. He also accessed her personal health records about 29 times without consent. Although the doctor doesn’t currently pose a safety threat to the nurse, other staff or patients, he’d violated OHS and privacy laws. Thus, the Board’s revocation of his privileges was reasonable and proportionate. So the court refused to reinstate them [Gupta v. William Osler Health System, [2017] ONSC 1294 (CanLII), March 22, 2017].