B.C. doctor suspended for sexual misconduct

A stock photo of a stethoscope. (Pixabay)

A B.C. doctor has been suspended for six months for sexual misconduct, according to his professional regulator.

A public notification about Dr. Craig Scott Jackson, of Vernon, was posted online by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. Tuesday.

Jackson entered into a consent agreement with the college’s inquiry committee, admitting to the misconduct and agreeing to the penalties proposed.

Jackson had a “sexual relationship with a medical office assistant who had formerly been a patient,” which was a violation of the college’s policy on sexual misconduct, according to the notification.

The doctor’s prior decision to hire and befriend the person while they were still his patient was also a “non-sexual boundary violation,” the notification said.

Finally, Jackson admitted to breaching practice standards by providing the same person with a prescription while they were in a relationship.  

The doctor’s admitted conduct was deemed a “significant breach,” which the college’s inquiry committee found warranted a “disciplinary outcome.”

In addition to his suspension, Jackson agreed to a public reprimand and any conditions or monitoring imposed by the college.

In an interview with Castanet, Jackson said he was not aware his relationship was prohibited, calling his misconduct a “one-time, monstrous mistake.”

“The college has given me my discipline and conditions,” he said.

“I’ve been completing that, and what they’ve given me is reasonable given the situation. I accept all responsibility for it.”

With files from Castanet’s Chelsey Mutter