A British doctor who continued to work despite being suspended has been struck off the medical register after repeatedly asking a Muslim patient to remove her veil during a medical appointment.Dr Keith Wolverson was previously suspended for nine months over multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior while working as an agent at urgent care centers in Derby and Stoke, relating to incidents that occurred between January and May 2018. One of the most serious incidents occurred on May 13, 2018, when he asked a woman, Ms Q, to remove her veil three times during an appointment at Royal Stoke University Hospital.The patient initially refused, citing religious reasons, but had it removed after repeated requests. Dr Wolferson later claimed he made the request because she “didn’t speak English well” and he had “difficulty understanding her”, adding that he was “trying to observe her mouth movements to help with communication”. However, the tribunal found she spoke fluent English and said his explanation was dishonest.The patient later said she felt “hurt and racially profiled.” It was also found that Dr Wolferson refused to have contact with her husband during the consultation and later said he found his attitude “aggressive and intimidating”. His legal representatives admitted the doctor’s behavior was “insensitive”.His behavior in other cases raised further concerns, with him recording comments about the English skills of 15 patients and their relatives, describing them as “unacceptable” and “not good enough”.Although Dr. Wolferson was suspended in 2022, it was later discovered that Dr. Wolferson continued to practice agency work during this period despite explicit instructions not to practice law. This breach, coupled with his failure to attend a subsequent court hearing, resulted in renewed scrutiny.At a review hearing in 2023, Dr Wolferson said he had reflected on his actions and deeply regretted the comments he made in patient medical records. He also argued that it was wrong to continue the suspension given the “current severe staff shortages within the NHS”.The tribunal concluded at the time that his fitness to practice remained impaired but chose not to extend the ban and instead imposed conditions on his registration for 12 months, including supervision. He later returned to work under these circumstances.However, a later hearing found he had “disengaged” from the regulatory process and showed a “continued and blatant disregard” for its requirements. The tribunal also expressed concerns about his lack of continued practice and the risk this posed to patient safety.Emma Gilberthorpe, chair of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing, said: “Dr Wolferson failed to use his previous suspension constructively, remained disengaged throughout and has maintained a blatant disregard for the regulatory process.”She added that any lesser sanctions would not adequately protect the public or reflect the seriousness of the misconduct. “The court concludes that any lesser sanctions would not address the current and ongoing public protection risks,” she said.Dr Wolferson has now been struck off the medical register and the case is closed.
