Doctor Deane Drew had been starting sexual relationships with multiple patients over decades of practice and prescribed medications to a patient who was abusing them. The Wellington practice owner was last month struck off by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (HPDT), which today released its written decision. The tribunal’s decision reveals all of these patients were vulnerable through their own mental health issues. The tribunal also found a text message from the doctor to one of the patients saying “please don’t lay a complaint as it could ruin my life and that would be pretty harsh for abusing your trust and treating you badly”. HPDT chair Alison Douglass said: “There was a severe departure from accepted standards and the seriousness of the conduct warrants a disciplinary sanction.” As a result, on top of the fine and $28,966 of costs, Douglass ordered that Drew’s medical registration be cancelled and conditions be imposed that he needed to meet before he could apply for re-registration. They also recommended to the Medical Council that further conditions to be placed on his practice if the he was re-registered in the future. Drew, a former part owner of the Lambton Quay practice City Medical, had been prescribing drugs of dependence and psychotropic medications to all of the women while he was in a close personal relationship with them.
