CALGARY -- A long-serving family physician in the Crowsnest Pass, who also served as president of the Alberta Medical Association, elected to retire ahead of receiving his non-financial repercussions for having an inappropriate relationship with a patient near the turn of the century.
According to the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, Dr. Allan Garbutt was found guilty of unprofessional conduct after admitting to having sex with a patient between 2002 and 2004 without disclosing the relationship to the college.
"Dr. Garbutt's failure to maintain this boundary is unacceptable conduct," stated the hearing tribunal in its decision. "Where, as here, a regulated member misuses the power inherent in the physician-patient relationship, carrying with it a special obligation for regulated members to maintain firm personal and sexual boundaries.
"Thus, the College's Standard of Practice: Sexual Boundary Violations (2010) specifically prohibits regulated members from initiating any form of sexual advance toward a patient, or responding sexually to a patient's advances."
The CPSA hearing tribunal ruled that Garbutt would receive significant sanctions but the physician chose to retire and cancel his permit to practise medicine at the end of 2019. The former doctor also agreed to not seek reinstatement.
Garbutt was ordered in June of this year to pay a $5,000 fine as well as two-thirds of the cost of the investigation and hearing. Garbutt's total financial penalty exceeds $18,700.
Fines collected by the college are used to fund a program that offers counselling to victims of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct.
The Alberta Medical Association confirms Dr. Garbutt served as president of the association from 2013 – 2014. AMA officials declined to comment on the ruling against Garbutt, stating the organization does not provide comment on any of the CPSA's individual rulings.
