A doctor has been suspended from practice after engaging in a sexual relationship with a former patient. The girl was just 13 years old when they first met
A doctor has been suspended after pursuing an inappropriate sexual relationship with a former patient he claims to have been “in love” with.
Dr Cian Hughes first met the girl when she was just 13 and having an operation at a children’s hospital in 2011. At the time, he was 23 and a fourth-year medical student at the University of Bristol, while she was just about to start her GCSEs. The pair started a sexual relationship in 2015, when the girl was 17.
A tribunal panel heard that “personal” messages between the doctor and the girl, known as patient A, began after she was discharged from Bristol Children’s Hospital in 2011. The pair’s communication started after she asked for copies of her X-rays. Dr Hughes forwarded them to her from his personal email account as he was unable to access his NHS email, the tribunal heard. His email signature also contained both of his mobile phone numbers.
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They then continued to exchange thousands of personal messages. The tribunal report states: “Patient A had been an inpatient for several weeks and it was evident from the continuing correspondence that she had made a connection with Dr Hughes.”
The doctor admitted that by December 2013 – when the girl was 16 – he became ‘aware Patient A had developed personal feelings for him’. The tribunal found Dr Hughes’ fitness to practice was impaired “by reason of misconduct” and handed down a 12-month suspension. Hughes, who now lives in Ireland, accepted that there was an imbalance of power within the dynamic, but asserted it was “a very loving relationship which had developed quickly online”.
Late in 2014, when the girl was 17, the pair began exchanging messages about sexual acts – fantasies which they described as “daydreams”. Girl A also spent the night at Dr Hughes’ flat on multiple occasions, the tribunal report states, where “sexual activity occurred”.
Despite her vulnerable status, the panel heard that Dr Hughes considered Patient A to be his “equal” and was “very much in love with her”. The pair had sex on “several occasions”.
The relationship ended in 2016 when the medic moved to Ireland to start a job as a medical researcher. Patient A, who is now in her 20s, made a complaint to the police in June 2020 but the investigation was discontinued, with no charges filed against Dr Hughes. The case was handed over to the General Medical Council, who eventually brought the matter to a tribunal.
The tribunal report also explores how the girl was impacted by the “inappropriate” relationship, stating that she now has a “distrust of authority figures, medical professionals and medical appointments”. It also details that Patient A has difficulty communicating her wishes and “a general mistrust of men outside her family”.
The panel found that there were “no patient safety concerns in this case and that the risk of repetition was low”. They also ruled that a review hearing should take place before the 12-month suspension ends.
A University of Bristol spokesperson told the The Mirror that all medical students “undergo comprehensive ethical training, are subject to enhanced DBS checks, and are taught the importance of following fitness to practice guidelines from their first day”.
They added that guidance was “reinforced throughout” their studies, and explained that students are “specifically instructed not to share personal information with patients, including mobile numbers, email addresses, or social media accounts”.
Meanwhile, the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the children’s hospital, said that patient safety was of “top priority” and that “inappropriate behaviour” would not be tolerated.
“We are proud to support the education of future NHS colleagues and are confident in the work of our academic partners to prepare their students for the high level of responsibility and privilege of training in a hospital,” they added.
“We would always encourage anyone, patient or colleague, to come forward if they are subjected to, or aware of, any misconduct or inappropriate behaviour. You will be listened to, and we will take swift and decisive action.”