NHS psychologist cautioned after lending patient her dog

An NHS psychologist has been cautioned after lending her dog to a patient.

Dr Janet Rich suggested the unnamed woman could take care of her pet over the Christmas period but was then accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the patient and later lost her job.

A panel found that there was no evidence of a romantic relationship or that Dr Rich ‘is or was a lesbian’.

She was accused of providing an ‘excessive’ number of therapy sessions five years ago – and though lending the dog alone was not considered to be misconduct, that was the verdict when coupled with other actions.

During the therapy sessions in December 2016, Dr Rich – who worked as a Clinical Health Psychologist for the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – would often bring her dog into the room as part of the treatment.

A health and care professions tribunal heard that the woman, named only as Patient A, told Dr Rich that she would be spending the festive period alone.

The woman was a domestic abuse survivor and her attacker had previously broken into her home.

The panel heard that Dr Rich ‘loaned’ the pet to the patient for a couple of days, because she thought it might offer ‘reassurance’ and a ‘degree of protection’.

After Patient A’s GP was tipped off that the pair might be in a relationship she raised the issue with Dr Rich and informed her of the accusation.

Dr Rich replied: ‘I have had a discussion with Patient A regarding the allegations as stated in the letter.

‘I can assure you that although both you and I have been working intensively with Patient A, and she has been offered support outside the usual amount of support offered to any patient, I do not believe that a “relationship” as suggested by a third party, is anything of concern for Patient A’s safety.’

She continued: ‘The only boundaries that have been crossed was during Christmas when Patient A looked after our family dog for two days, as I felt it would be company for Patient A and may have helped her feel a little safer during this difficult period.

‘On second thoughts, this was outside the usual therapeutic boundary, and having discussed it with my supervisor it has been felt this was inappropriate.’

Dr Rich did not notify her manager of the claims at the time.

Following an investigation by the trust, Dr Rich was suspended and then dismissed in November 2017.

But the tribunal found that there was no evidence at all to suggest that Dr Rich was in a sexual relationship with her patient.

It concluded: ‘Dr Rich should clearly not have loaned her dog to Patient A despite the intentions held by [Dr Rich] that it would provide Patient A with comfort and security.

‘However, given [Dr Rich’s] motives, the Panel considered that the breach this particular constituted should properly be categorised as misguided or ill-judged rather than a serious falling short of expected standards.

‘For that reason the panel concluded that this particular should not be considered to be misconduct when considered in isolation.’

The tribunal did find that she failed to notify her line manager about the concerns and carried on working while suspended under investigation.

It said those findings as a whole amounted to misconduct.

Dr Rich was handed a caution that will stay on her record for one year.

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