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General physician of Stenhouse Medical Center in the UK. Helen Eisenhauer faces a five-month suspension after admitting to faking two appointments so she could take her children on time.
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“This incident occurred at a particularly stressful time for me a year ago when I had to balance the demands of my young family with busy professional commitments,” she admitted during the hearing.
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In a statement, the medical center said they have “provided continuous support” to the doctor and that they have “full confidence in his clinical abilities”.
A doctor in England has been suspended after admitting he booked fake appointments to leave work in time to pick up his children.
Arnold’s Stenhouse Medical Center general practitioner Dr. Helen Eisenhauer faces a five-month suspension after she booked two appointments last year, with patients she had already consulted to ensure she could pick up their children by 6 p.m., according to a misconduct case heard by the General Medical Council.
“This incident occurred at a time of particular stress for me over a year ago when I had to balance the demands of my young family with busy professional commitments. I fully accept that this does not excuse my dishonesty,” Eisenhauer said in a statement to the medical tribunal. “I am thoroughly ashamed of my behavior in July 2024 and am determined never to compromise the medical profession or myself again.”
The incident took place on July 17, 2024, according to tribunal records.
That day, Eisenhauer was scheduled to finish work at 4:45 p.m. and said she felt “worried” that she wouldn’t be able to leave on time if she booked any last-minute appointments.
She went on to book two face-to-face appointments for the end of her shift, even though she had already consulted with both patients earlier that day.
Two days later, a fellow partner in her practice noticed that there were no notes from any of the appointments.
“I remember being embarrassed and worried about what my colleagues would think of me after the booking,” Eisenhauer said at the hearing, adding that she went on to add to the comments, although the consultation never took place.
“I did it in the middle of my full working day without thinking,” she said. “I did not consider the consequences of writing this entry at the time. I only remember my anxiety and embarrassment.”
When his actions eventually resulted in a “disciplinary meeting” at his practice, Dr. Eisenhower — who initially denied any wrongdoing — turned himself in to the General Medical Council on July 17, 2024.
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Eisenhauer said during cross-examination that there was nothing unusual about the day of the incident and that she had failed to make appropriate fallback provisions for child care.
“I am fully aware of the importance of honesty and integrity in my personal and professional life and the impact that dishonest acts have on the profession and public confidence in the profession,” she added. “I am utterly ashamed of my behavior in July 2024 and am determined never to compromise the medical profession or myself again.”
During the hearing, her legal representative alleged that since Eisenhower had not been sleeping well and that she had failed to wake up her children on time that day, she “may have lost child care provisions.”
In a statement, tribunal chairman Neil Dalton said Eisenhower “demonstrated a reckless disregard for patient safety and professional standards.”
“His actions undermined collaborative work, betrayed the trust his colleagues had to place in his probity as they worked with him every day,” Dalton added.
In its final decision, the tribunal considered all factors, including “falsification of records” – and they considered taking no action due to the “extraordinary circumstances” of the case. However, they finally decided to impose a five-month suspension.
On Wednesday, December 31, Stenhouse Medical Center shared a social media statement regarding the incident.
“When concerns were first raised in July 2024, the practice carried out a comprehensive internal investigation followed by appropriate action, including a self-referral to the GMC by Dr Eisenhauer,” the practice wrote on Facebook. “In the medium term, the partners have provided continued support to Dr. Eisenhauer and have full confidence in his clinical abilities.”
“Our focus continues to be on supporting the well-being of Dr. Eisenhauer, our staff and patients while providing compassionate, safe and reliable care,” they added.
Stenhouse Medical Center did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further comment.
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