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More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice A Cambridgeshire doctor has been suspended after making a grieving patient cry while recording a training video to demonstrate his empathy. Dr Christopher Ogbonna forced the woman, who had recently lost her husband to cancer, to cry to enable him to demonstrate empathy in the video. A medical tribunal heard that Dr Ogbonna filmed videos with a patient for part of his GP training after coaching her on the questions he would ask and the answers he wanted her to give.
She told Dr Ogbonna that she was still 'quite raw' from the loss of her husband – he asked her to repeat that fact and to cry, "to enable him to demonstrate empathy on his part". Dr Ogbonna had been working as a GP trainee at Yaxley Group Practice in Peterborough at the time of the incident in June and July 2022. He made the patient, described as 'vulnerable', re-record the video with him, including making 'unsolicited' contact with her on her mobile phone from his personal phone and crying when she initially refused.
Read next: Major step forward for Cambridge Children's Hospital Read next: Suspected World War Two bomb discovered in Cambridgeshire town with police cordon in place He told the patient to keep her clothes on but pretend to remove them for the purpose of the examination – but he did not conduct an examination. He intended to submit the video recorded consultation as part of his GP training but ultimately he did not submit the video. Dr Ogbonna referred himself to the General Medical Council (GMC) after the patient complained about his conduct.
A medical tribunal found that his "conduct fell so far short of the standards of conduct reasonably to be expected of a doctor so as to amount to misconduct". A report from the tribunal said: "Dr Ogbonna had prioritised his needs over Patient A's welfare. The Tribunal also noted Patient A's evidence that she was made to feel uncomfortable, and that Dr Ogbonna had placed undue pressure on her.
" Andrew Colman, acting for Dr Ogbonna, told the tribunal that the doctor was deeply affected by the stress of potentially failing to qualify as a GP, causing him to act out of character. Mr Colman said testimonials from colleagues and patients described Dr Ogbonna as diligent, caring, and attentive, showing that his misconduct was an 'isolated lapse'. Dr Ogbonna has qualified as a GP since the misconduct.
He has been practising at Nene Valley and Hodgson Medical Practice since April 2023. You can read the full decision from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service here . Join CambridgeshireLive's free WhatsApp channel for the latest breaking news Get the latest breaking news and top stories straight to your phone for free with CambridgeshireLive's WhatsApp channel.
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