BUCKINGHAMSHIRE DOCTOR SENT SEXUAL IMAGES TO VULNERABLE WOMAN ‘WHILE DRUNK’ BUT AVOIDS SANCTION
A Buckinghamshire doctor, Dr Kristan Jotin Vedi, who sent sexual images to a vulnerable woman while he was ‘drunk’ has avoided being sanctioned.According to the article, Dr Vedi admitted that between February 2020 and June 2023, he formed a personal relationship with a former patient, ‘Ms A’.
He met her at least twice and sent her around £700 for a medical device.
The psychiatrist with 20 years of experience also sent her pictures and cartoons of women ‘in sexually provocative poses’, as well as images of alcohol use, his family, and a cut to his finger.
Although he was found guilty of ‘serious misconduct’, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service decided on February 19 that he was ‘not impaired’ and permitted him to continue practicing.
The tribunal acknowledged his conduct ‘fell below the standard expected’ and warned that a repetition might lead to a finding of impaired fitness to practice.
Dr Vedi, who previously worked as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at Elysium Healthcare, self-referred to the GMC in August 2023 following a local investigation which led to his dismissal.
During the hearing, Vedi said, “It is the biggest professional and personal failure of my life.
I would have to be even more idiotic than I have been not to take lessons and learn from things that should have been abundantly clear to me at the outset.” The report highlighted that Ms A’s mental health conditions, his ongoing relationship with her, and activities like ‘going out for meals and drinks’ worsened the seriousness of his misconduct.
The GMC’s counsel emphasized that Ms A’s vulnerable state, hesitance to end the relationship, and his conduct in sending sexual images and texts in the early hours while drunk were inappropriate.
His representative stated the case was not about sexual misconduct and that there was no sexually motivated conduct; rather, the images were exchanged ‘like mates’.
The tribunal noted Dr Vedi did not attempt to hide the relationship or exploit Ms A, whom he saw as a ‘mate’.
In his testimony, he admitted to having ‘got some things horrifically wrong’ and failing his various stakeholders.
The tribunal issued a warning, emphasizing that Dr Vedi is a ‘good doctor’ practicing in a demanding field, and no clinical concerns had been raised about his practice.
Elysium Healthcare was approached for comment.
