A doctor facing allegations that he inappropriately asked a Muslim woman to take off her veil and criticised patient's English skills could be struck off.
Dr Keith Wolverson slated 15 patients for this language abilities in medical notes from January to April 2018.
It is also claimed that, during a medical appointment, he told a woman to remove her niqab at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
A tribunal will now consider whether the physician, who has worked in medicine for over 20 years, can continue as a medical professional, Stoke-on-Trent live reports.
The Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service (MPTS) will look into complaints that he made remarks about the language abilities of patients, was dishonest about his treatment of those in hospital, and failed to safeguard a seven-month old baby who was a patient, among other allegations..
The General Medical Council has no specific guidelines on how to examine women wearing full-face veils, DerbyshireLive reports.
The comments Dr Wolverson wrote on patient notes included:
To Patient A: "I do not understand a word these parents are saying!!! They need to learn better English!!"
To Patient B: "Attended with her grandmother whom spoke no English...Not acceptable at all!"
To Patient E: "Mother has been here fro [sic] 5 years and speaks no English. Explained this to Mother as best that One could but is it Her duty to learn more ENGLISH…BEING HERE FOR 5 YEARS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS WRONG WITH Her Daughter, IS, FRANKLY, NOT GOOD ENOUGH.’
To Patient N: "A 10 year old was translating here…this is completely unacceptable."
The tribunal relating to Dr Wolverson, who now works in a private botox clinic in Derbyshire, is being held in Manchester and is set to conclude on Friday, March 4.
The MPTS website, which lists tribunals across the country, said: "The tribunal will inquire into the allegation that, on one or more occasions between January and April 2018, Dr Wolverson recorded inappropriate comments about English language skills in the medical records of several patients.
"It is also alleged that, on 22 March, 2018, he failed to take appropriate steps to safeguard a child and failed to record his actions relating to that child.
"It is alleged that on 13 May 2018, Dr Wolverson caused a patient to remove her veil, spoke to her in a hostile and/or intimidating manner and refused to communicate with her husband.
"During an interview about the matters set out above, it is alleged that Dr Wolverson made further inappropriate comments about patients and provided false information about his actions."
StokeonTrentLive reported in 2019 that the allegations saw Dr Wolverson, who qualified as a doctor in 1996, dropped by health firm Vocare from his job at the Royal Stoke.
But in an interview in 2019, Dr Wolverson said that he asked the patient to remove her veil "in the same way I'd ask a motorcyclist to remove a crash helmet" and added that even if he was permitted to return to the NHS, he would be unlikely to do so.
Meanwhile, a change.org petition in support of Dr Wolverson attracted over 133,000 signatures before it closed.
The GMC offers no specific guidelines on how doctors should minister to women wearing full-face veils - though medical staff are obliged to remove them if a patient requests.
However, in a statement, the body stated: "Our guidance makes it clear that we expect to treat patients' beliefs and choice of religious dress with respect.
"If, having exhausted all possible communication approaches, a doctor cannot provide safe care without seeing a woman's face, they can sensitively explore whether she would be willing to remove her face covering.
"Should this cause her distress, the doctor will need to continue with other channels of communication.
"If a doctor follows this guidance and treats patients politely, honestly, and with sensitivity, then they have nothing to fear from being referred to the GMC."
The findings of the tribunal will be released within 28 days of its conclusion.
