Struck-Off Doctor Continues to Advise Private Patients

Thomas Plimmer, a doctor who was removed from the medical register for engaging in sexual activity with multiple women at his GP surgery, advised a private therapy patient to acquire prescription-only sleeping tablets. During a consultation, which BBC West secretly recorded, Mr. Plimmer also failed to explicitly state that he was no longer on the medical register. The General Medical Council (GMC) has since recommended that Dr. Plimmer clarify his non-medical status on his website. Mr. Plimmer stated that, based on legal advice, he is unable to comment due to his ongoing appeal against being struck off. However, he denies misleading patients about his registration status. At a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing, the former GP admitted to sending explicit content to colleagues, having sex during working hours, and behaving inappropriately around women. The tribunal’s decision regarding Mr. Plimmer, who had worked in Swindon, was made after several women lodged complaints with both the GMC and the Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Documents from the 2023 hearing indicate he faced allegations from multiple women between May 2018 and February 2021, and the GMC described him as an “accomplished liar”. The BBC has now discovered that Mr. Plimmer is still promoting his services through a company he established at his Gloucester home, operating under the name “Mind Body and Emotional Wellness with Dr Matthew”. The website highlighted his qualifications as a doctor but did not mention that he was no longer practicing as a medical doctor. Since the BBC brought this to the attention of the GMC, Mr. Plimmer has complied with the GMC’s advice to make this clear on the site. During an hour-long consultation, costing £80, a BBC West Investigations journalist posed as a patient experiencing insomnia. Mr. Plimmer advised her to purchase melatonin from the internet, despite it being a prescription-only medication in the UK. He told her: “It certainly is not going to do you harm.” He offered to consult the British National Formulary to ascertain if she could increase her dosage of the drug beyond the recommended level. The journalist asked him: “Medically do you think there is anything else I can do aside from the melatonin?” Mr. Plimmer replied: “Other than a short course of sleeping tablets to break the cycle sometimes that can help. Medically melatonin is fine… I will also look at the dose of melatonin and get back to you on that.” In a subsequent email, Mr. Plimmer recommended a starting dose of 2mg. “This can gradually be increased up to 10mg at night if lower doses are not effective,” the email added. The BBC understands that doses as high as 10mg are typically recommended only in exceptional circumstances. In the small print of a consent form for the consultation, Mr. Plimmer stated: “My role in the Mind, Body and Emotional Wellness sessions is not that of a registered doctor of medicine.” “I am not acting as a registered doctor in Mind, Body and Emotional Wellness sessions.” “These sessions are not intended to replace advice or care from your healthcare provider. They should not be construed as medical advice or diagnostic and should not be viewed as a substitute for any treatment prescribed or recommended by your healthcare professional.” However, this was not mentioned on his website or during his consultation with the journalist. During the consultation, Mr. Plimmer also offered a face-to-face therapy session with the journalist at her home. The BBC conveyed concerns from complainants to the GMC that Mr. Plimmer’s website did not declare his removal from their register. The GMC stated that they had provided advice to Dr. Plimmer that “information on his website should be made clearer”. They added: “But the tribunal imposed the ultimate sanction on him when they decided that he should be erased from the register, and once a doctor is no longer on our register we are not able to take further regulatory action.” They further clarified, “If a person has a medical degree, by law there is nothing stopping them calling themselves doctor – as long as they are not undertaking the duties of a licensed medical practitioner or holding themselves out to be a registered and licensed doctor, or engaging in conduct calculated to suggest that they are.” Mr. Plimmer did not address questions raised by the BBC regarding his encouragement to purchase prescription-only medication online, or his use of the name “Dr Matthew”. For those affected by this story, assistance is available through BBC Action Line. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.