She doctored her schedule.
A general practitioner in the UK has been suspended for five months after booking in two fictitious appointments at the end of her workday to avoid being late to pick up her children.
Dr Helen Eisenhauer, 43, was working at the Stenhouse Medical Centre in Arnold, England, when she scheduled the bogus appointments on an afternoon in 2024.
At a recent tribunal hearing, the mom said she was “thoroughly ashamed” of her behavior and admitted she struggled to balance her personal and professional duties, per The Times of London.
“The incident occurred at a time of particular stress for me when I was having to balance the demands of my young family with busy professional commitments,” Eisenhauer declared. “I fully accept, however, that this does not excuse my dishonesty.”
The harsh penalty has sparked heated debate in the UK, where there is a significant shortage of doctors.
More than one-fifth of Brits who booked an appointment to see a general practitioner in November had to wait at least two weeks, per The Times. 7.5% of patients waited a month or more.
It’s estimated Eisenhauer earns around £60,000 (USD $80,000) per year, although she works part-time, The Times reports.
Eisenhauer said she was suffering from sleep deprivation at the time she added the two fake appointments to her diary.
The busy mom admitted she failed to make proper childcare arrangements for the day and needed to pick up her children by 6 p.m. She feared seeing two more patients would mean she wouldn’t leave the practice until after that time.
A partner at the medical practice, where Eisenhauer has worked since 2018, noticed anomalies in her schedule and confronted her at a meeting.
Eisenhauer subsequently reported herself to the UK’s General Medical Council.
“I am thoroughly ashamed and determined never to compromise the medical profession or myself again,” the doctor stated at the recent tribunal hearing.
Despite her contrition, she was slapped with the five-month ban.
“Dr Eisenhauer displayed a reckless disregard for patient safety and professional standards,” tribunal chairman Neil Dalton declared.
However, many moms are rallying around Eisenhauer and saying her situation proves reforms are needed for working parents.
“It’s sad that our system pushes vital workers to these extremes,” one supporter stated on The Times of London’s Facebook page. “It would probably be better to ask how the system can be more flexible and if we are destroying our health service.”
“Anyone who has raced from work with their heart racing to avoid being late for nursery or after school pick up will have enormous sympathy for this lady,” another parent posited.
“I think the real problem here is not that she did it, but she had to do it,” a third declared.
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