St John’s Wood doctor cleared of kissing patient

Dermatologist at Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth cleared of married woman’s allegations

A ST JOHN’S WOOD private doctor has been cleared of allegations that he told a married patient her husband should “get a part-time girlfriend” and kissed her on the cheeks.

Athanassios Lambiris, a consultant dermatologist at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth on Grove End Road, was alleged to have kissed his patient almost reducing her to tears.

But the General Medical Council yesterday ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge the doctor.

The court had heard that the patient, a dental nurse referred to as Mrs JM, visited the dermatologist on three occasions between November 2008 and April 2009.

At the first appointment on November 1, Dr Lambiris was alleged to have told his patient that she was “too young to be married” after hearing that she had a husband.

Mrs JM then claimed he told her she could “find a part-time girlfriend to look after her husband” if the treatment didn’t work, before kissing her twice on the cheeks at a second appointment on December 20.

She then alleged Dr Lambiris again told her she should “get a part-time girlfriend” for her husband at a third appointment on April 4.

The GMC council noted there were discrepancies in evidence given by the witness and variations in her version of events.

They also noted that she failed to complain at the time of the alleged events or immediately after.