Doctor reprimanded for forgery

Dr Alun Jones's wife contacted celebrity patients

A society doctor who treated royalty and film stars has been found guilty of serious professional misconduct for forging his ex-wife's signature.

Dr Alun Jones, 63, was given an official reprimand by the General Medical Council (GMC) after he admitted forging the signature in order to cash in an insurance policy.

Trust is essential to the relationship between patient and doctors, and the public have confidence that doctors will tell the truth

Rani Atma, GMC

On Saturday Dr Jones, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, was cleared of failing to act in his patients' best interests after his shopaholic wife Sofi, 38, begged them for cash.

He had been accused of failing to stop her obtaining his patients' private contact details by rifling through his confidential records.

The GMC found that the GP, whose patients included the Duchess of Kent, Tom Cruise, and Catherine Zeta Jones, had done all he possibly could to restrain her.

Trust

On Sunday the disciplinary committee continued deliberations in relation to a police caution Dr Jones received for forging the signature, and found his actions to be "dishonest, inappropriate and a breach of the trust which the public are entitled to expect".

Rani Atma, who headed the panel, told him:

"Trust is essential to the relationship between patient and doctors, and the public have confidence that doctors will tell the truth."

She said forging the signature had contravened the principles as outlined in Good Medical Practice (July 1998) which states that "doctors must be honest and trustworthy".

The committee decided to reprimand him as his attempt to gain further cash through his ex-wife's insurance policy, although "isolated", was a "significant and serious failure in an unblemished career".

Alarms

Adrian Hopkin, defending, told the disciplinary panel: "It should never have happened and he was wrong to do it and he has admitted it.

"It was an action he regrets and is out of character."

Tome Cruise was among Dr Jones' celebrity patients

Mr Hopkin said that Dr Jones no longer takes home any of his patient records and keeps a key to his filing cabinets "under lock and key" at home or on his person.

His new surgery is also equipped with a state-of-the-art alarm system to prevent his wife from gaining access without his permission.

Dr Jones told the hearing he had had "no control over his wife."

He said Mrs Jones came from a wealthy central American family and "always had everything she wanted in life".

The GP, who ran a private clinic at Thames Valley Nuffield Hospital in Slough, Berkshire, was forced to cancel his credit cards and had changed bank accounts five times in the last three years to curb his wife's overspending.

Expensive taste

The committee heard that her taste in designer clothes, jewellery and make up had left the doctor with mounting financial problems because she was spending "an enormous amount of money that they didn't have".

Dr Jones said he was shocked when he discovered that his wife had approached patients for up to £10,000.

He admitted later finding out that his wife had asked four of his patients for cash, claiming he was "too proud" to ask them.

The committee heard there had been no concerns about Dr Jones until he started a relationship with the woman who was to become his wife.

Dr Jones, who was suspended from practice in June 1999, had denied serious professional misconduct.