Abusive Doctor Loses License

A story from the BBC--a doctor who was caught abusing an autistic resident lost his right to practice. A disgusting situation, deserving of serious consequences.

NORFOLK, England -- A doctor who kicked a patient suffering from autism at a residential home in Cromer, Norfolk, has been struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC).

The GMC panel found Dr Robert Bartosik, 47, had kicked the male resident, in his 30s, in the rear during a row over a pair of rubber gloves in March 2007.

The GMC fitness to practise panel ruled his actions were "unacceptable".

Dr Bartosik, who was a support worker at the time, denied the allegation and claimed a witness was lying.

The GMC panel also found him guilty of deficient professional performance at various NHS trusts throughout the UK.

The panel agreed with a number of his employers that Dr Bartosik, who comes from Poland, had poor clinical skills and poor communication and language abilities.

The doctor was said to have ignored advice from colleagues when he tried to take the gloves from the kitchen of a bungalow at the Treehaven home for people with autism spectrum disorders.

The resident, who has Asperger's syndrome, began throwing items of cutlery at Dr Bartosik, who retaliated with the kick.

The panel noted: "As a professional person Dr Bartosik should have dealt with the situation in a different way and not have retaliated by kicking the patient.

"The panel is of the view that his actions were out with the boundaries of acceptability and that the public and profession would deem it to be unacceptable."