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Physiotherapist struck off register after intimate massage
Cate Broughton17:17, Jul 05 2019
STUFF
Physiotherapist Peter Chum, pictured in 2017, has had his registration cancelled after being found guilty of malpractice, negligence and bringing discredit to the profession by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
An experienced Christchurch physiotherapist has been struck off the register for professional misconduct including a request to massage near a patient's "clitoral region".
The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal heard the case against Peter William Chum and announced its findings in Christchurch on Thursday.
Chum faced 11 charges of professional misconduct over an appointment with a woman at her home on 2016. He denied all of the charges and did not appear before the tribunal.
The complainant, whose name and identity were suppressed, had recently suffered a traumatic brain injury after an accident and was recovering after hospitalisation and surgery.
READ MORE:
* Waikato nurse snoops through patient's files
* Hamilton Massage therapist allegedly slid hands in underwear, court hears
* Patient's lung collapses during acupuncture treatment
* Christchurch physio fined $27,000 for treating 14 women after he was banned
Chum offered to come to her home.
The woman had been referred to Chum for an assessment of vocal and swallowing problems as he specialised in this area.
After assessing and treating the woman's throat and neck muscles he offered to massage her lower back, saying muscle tension in that area could affect her vocal problems.
SUPPLIED
Chum was banned from treating female patients in June 2016, but breached those conditions and was fined the following year.
She agreed and Chum requested she remove all of her clothes.
The complainant said she thought that was strange and double checked. Chum confirmed she should take all her clothes off and put on a robe.
Once she was lying face down on the massage table he asked her to remove her robe.
She said Chum draped one towel over her and then asked her to roll over to lie on her back.
As he worked on her hips, outer and then inner thighs he moved the towel to the side, exposing her.
Each time he did this she tried to move the towel back into place.
She became increasingly uncomfortable and "alarmed" as he moved higher up her inner thighs. The woman said she felt uncomfortable but did not ask Chum to stop because he seemed professional and so she thought "it must be normal".
When he asked if she was comfortable for him to massage near her clitoral region she said no and the massage stopped.
The woman asked if he massaged other clients that intimate way.
He told her he had and that it was helpful to release tension.
She understood him to be referring to orgasm. He said in a statement to the tribunal he had not been referring to anything sexual in nature and she must have misunderstood him.
She talked to friends about the appointment later that night and they told her to make a complaint.
She told the tribunal the incident had made her fearful of seeking treatment.
Chum emailed the woman a few days after the appointment saying he had overstepped his professional scope and his approach towards the end of the appointment was not his normal practice.
He apologised for "any offence or embarrassment" he may have caused.
The woman complained to the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand, which investigated and, in June 2016 banned Chum from treating female patients.
However, he breached those conditions.
In 2017 the tribunal fined him $2000 and ordered costs of $25,000 for treating 14 women.
Chum, a registered physiotherapist for 13 years, was found guilty by the tribunal on Thursday of inadequate draping, unnecessary treatment and unwarranted and unwelcome touching of intimate areas of the complainant's body.
He was also found guilty of malpractice, negligence and bringing the profession of physiotherapy into disrepute for all but one charge.
Chair David Carden said the tribunal found insufficient evidence Chum engaged in a conversation of a sexual nature after the treatment.
In his statement, he denied asking the woman to remove her clothes. He said he did not stop the treatment when he realised she was naked because he did not want to embarrass her.
He acknowledged he should not have treated her alone in her house, but denied asking to massage near her clitoral region.
An expert witness, physiotherapist Dr Sarah Mooney, said Chum's behaviour departed from accepted standards of care.
Mooney said Chum had not established a clear clinical reason to treat the woman's lower back and should not have gone ahead with it.
After the tribunal, the complainant said she made the complaint to protect other people who may be less resilient.
Cate Broughton17:17, Jul 05 2019
STUFF
Physiotherapist Peter Chum, pictured in 2017, has had his registration cancelled after being found guilty of malpractice, negligence and bringing discredit to the profession by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
An experienced Christchurch physiotherapist has been struck off the register for professional misconduct including a request to massage near a patient's "clitoral region".
The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal heard the case against Peter William Chum and announced its findings in Christchurch on Thursday.
Chum faced 11 charges of professional misconduct over an appointment with a woman at her home on 2016. He denied all of the charges and did not appear before the tribunal.
The complainant, whose name and identity were suppressed, had recently suffered a traumatic brain injury after an accident and was recovering after hospitalisation and surgery.
READ MORE:
* Waikato nurse snoops through patient's files
* Hamilton Massage therapist allegedly slid hands in underwear, court hears
* Patient's lung collapses during acupuncture treatment
* Christchurch physio fined $27,000 for treating 14 women after he was banned
Chum offered to come to her home.
The woman had been referred to Chum for an assessment of vocal and swallowing problems as he specialised in this area.
After assessing and treating the woman's throat and neck muscles he offered to massage her lower back, saying muscle tension in that area could affect her vocal problems.
SUPPLIED
Chum was banned from treating female patients in June 2016, but breached those conditions and was fined the following year.
She agreed and Chum requested she remove all of her clothes.
The complainant said she thought that was strange and double checked. Chum confirmed she should take all her clothes off and put on a robe.
Once she was lying face down on the massage table he asked her to remove her robe.
She said Chum draped one towel over her and then asked her to roll over to lie on her back.
As he worked on her hips, outer and then inner thighs he moved the towel to the side, exposing her.
Each time he did this she tried to move the towel back into place.
She became increasingly uncomfortable and "alarmed" as he moved higher up her inner thighs. The woman said she felt uncomfortable but did not ask Chum to stop because he seemed professional and so she thought "it must be normal".
When he asked if she was comfortable for him to massage near her clitoral region she said no and the massage stopped.
The woman asked if he massaged other clients that intimate way.
He told her he had and that it was helpful to release tension.
She understood him to be referring to orgasm. He said in a statement to the tribunal he had not been referring to anything sexual in nature and she must have misunderstood him.
She talked to friends about the appointment later that night and they told her to make a complaint.
She told the tribunal the incident had made her fearful of seeking treatment.
Chum emailed the woman a few days after the appointment saying he had overstepped his professional scope and his approach towards the end of the appointment was not his normal practice.
He apologised for "any offence or embarrassment" he may have caused.
The woman complained to the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand, which investigated and, in June 2016 banned Chum from treating female patients.
However, he breached those conditions.
In 2017 the tribunal fined him $2000 and ordered costs of $25,000 for treating 14 women.
Chum, a registered physiotherapist for 13 years, was found guilty by the tribunal on Thursday of inadequate draping, unnecessary treatment and unwarranted and unwelcome touching of intimate areas of the complainant's body.
He was also found guilty of malpractice, negligence and bringing the profession of physiotherapy into disrepute for all but one charge.
Chair David Carden said the tribunal found insufficient evidence Chum engaged in a conversation of a sexual nature after the treatment.
In his statement, he denied asking the woman to remove her clothes. He said he did not stop the treatment when he realised she was naked because he did not want to embarrass her.
He acknowledged he should not have treated her alone in her house, but denied asking to massage near her clitoral region.
An expert witness, physiotherapist Dr Sarah Mooney, said Chum's behaviour departed from accepted standards of care.
Mooney said Chum had not established a clear clinical reason to treat the woman's lower back and should not have gone ahead with it.
After the tribunal, the complainant said she made the complaint to protect other people who may be less resilient.
now have to do mind-cleansing.
