Doctor accused of ‘hypnotic’ misconduct faces second tribunal

A hospital doctor accused of using a “hypnotic” voice on female patients will undergo a second medical tribunal after a High Court ruling overturned his acquittal.

Dr. Neill Charles Garrard was previously cleared by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) after two women accused him of inappropriate conduct in Southampton and Lewisham. One patient alleged he engaged in “sexual chanting” and told her, “You will lust for me,” while another claimed he made her undress unnecessarily and spoke in an unsettling, soothing tone.

In December, the MPTS dismissed the allegations, citing inconsistencies between the cases. However, High Court Judge MacDonald ruled the panel misapplied legal principles, stating it was unnecessary to prove one allegation before considering its relevance to the other.

The first complaint arose in March 2021, when a woman with a mental health diagnosis claimed Dr. Garrard used hypnosis-like speech and inappropriate touch at Royal South Hants Hospital. A second patient at University Hospital Lewisham in December 2021 alleged similar behavior.

Dr. Garrard denied wrongdoing, arguing the patients were unreliable due to their mental conditions. The tribunal initially ruled the cases lacked cross-admissibility, but the judge disagreed, highlighting recurring patterns of “controlling behavior” and improper requests to undress.

A fresh tribunal will now be convened to reassess the evidence.

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