CRAIG MORTON FROM DUNDEE DISBARRED FROM MEDICAL REGISTER IN 2007 AFTER PAEDOPHILIA OFFENSES
In August 2007, a doctor from Dundee named Craig Morton was permanently removed from the medical register following a conviction related to child pornography.Morton, who had been suspended since 2005, admitted to downloading images of young boys.
The General Medical Council (GMC) stated that his conviction was 'incompatible with his continuing to be registered as a medical practitioner.' Unless he appeals within 28 days, his name will be officially erased from the register.
The decision was made after a review by the GMC’s Fitness to Practise Panel in Manchester.
Michael Williams, representing the GMC, emphasized that "any sanction must be proportionate and its purpose is not to be punitive, but to protect members of the public and the public interest.
The public interest includes, among other things, protection of patients, maintenance of public confidence in the profession, and upholding proper standards." Morton was not present at the hearing, and his request for 'voluntary erasure' from the register was denied.
Had it been approved, he could have requested reinstatement at any time, but the GMC panel’s decision to strike him off has made returning more difficult.
The panel had already deemed Morton unfit to practice.
Panel chair Eileen Carr explained: 'The reasons why the panel considers that Dr Morton’s fitness to practice is impaired are that there remains a risk of reoffending.
Dr Morton is still subject to the sex offenders register and is still in the process of serving the probation order imposed upon him.
The panel has no evidence before it that Dr Morton has undertaken appropriate continuing professional development.' Morton, who was employed at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, was arrested in 2002 when police raided his parents' house in Broughty Ferry.
Officers discovered two computer discs containing photos of boys aged between 14 and 16 involved in pornography.
A paediatrician who examined the images described some as 'distressing in the extreme.' Morton admitted to downloading and possessing these images when he was a 19-year-old medical student at Dundee University.
Initially, he was given an official admonishment by Dundee Sheriff Derek Pyle, who was criticized for his leniency after stating he would 'take a risk' with Morton and that he had 'suffered enough.' Following public outcry, appellate judges overturned this sentence and imposed a three-year probation order, with Morton also ordered to attend a local sex offenders treatment program.
In 2005, Morton received a one-year suspension from medical practice, which was extended for an additional 12 months.
The GMC’s recent ruling confirms that his fitness to practice remains impaired due to ongoing concerns about reoffending and his current status on the sex offenders register.
