Doctor struck off after receiving money for 'free' care

In a Follow-up to this story, which Stuff.co.nz reported & listed on here , here is the result of this:
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Doctor struck off after recieving money for 'free' care:

An Auckland GP has been struck off after accepting $260,000 from an elderly couple in return for "free" medical care.

Donald Ian McDonald, 62, was struck off the register after being found guilty of professional misconduct by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, a spokeswoman told NZPA.

He was also censured and fined and will have to pay 30 percent of costs incurred by the inquiry. The tribunal also found Dr McDonald had failed to manage the couple's medical care to an expected standard.

Dr McDonald admitted he accepted $260,000 from the elderly couple, who have name suppression, but denied he failed to appropriately manage the couple's health care.

The tribunal heard that the couple paid Dr McDonald in instalments between January 1998 and November 2004. His former de facto partner, who also has name suppression, was paid $60,000.

Dr McDonald had known the couple since he had been administering them with acupuncture in the 1970s but did not become their GP until 1998.

The former partner was ordered to pay back the money in the High Court.

The elderly man died in December last year. His wife is in a rest home and suffers from dementia.

The New Zealand Herald reported that the couple's lawyer, Stephen Gully, told the hearing yesterday he had drawn up wills for the couple and the woman named the doctor as one of the beneficiaries.

However, the elderly man subsequently told Mr Gully he did not agree with his wife's wishes to favour Dr McDonald in the will, preferring instead his nephew.

Source & Contd:Stuff.co.nz