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‘Bloodgate’ doctor ‘pressurised’ into cutting player’s lip to conceal scam

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The Guardian reports today on a hearing by the UK's General Medical Council (GMC) at which accident and emergency consultant Dr Wendy Chapman, try also a rugby union club doctor, online is facing medical disciplinary charges over the so-called Bloodgate
scandal. 

One of the most notorious and embarrassing scandals in modern day sport, remedy it took place during a Heinekin Cup quarter final tie when Harlequins, 5-6 down, wanted to make a change to have a specialist kicker on the field. This was achieved only by the use of a blood capsule, chewed by a player in a ruse which has seen the team fined heavily, the coach resign, players banned and now Dr Chapman in front of the GMC.

The doctor, who is currently suspended by the GMC admits that she deliberately cut the lip of the player faking injury, Harlequins winger Tom Williams, but says she felt pressured to do so by the panic stricken player who realised that the plot, involving the capsule of theatrical blood, had been discovered by players on the opposite team, and by match officials.

Dr Chapman has accepted that she acted in a way likely to bring the medical profession into
disrepute and admits dishonest conduct. But she denies that she had deliberately tried to deceive officials by claiming the player had a loose tooth.  

The GMC are not suggesting Dr Chapman was party to planning the scam, which could have resulted in a significant financial benefit to the club if it had been successful. The match was televised, and overall prize money in the cup competition was more than £200,000.

Questioned by Mary O'Rourke,
representing Chapman, Tom Williams agreed that he had not played his role in the exit from the field well, and had been discovered, which is why he asked the doctor to cut his lip. 

The barrister asked: "She was in fact made a victim by your actions because you brought her into it, or you dragged her into it?" Williams has said that he thinks this was the case, as Dr Chapman was originally completely against the idea and admits that "It seems that knowing Dr Chapman I would have had to be quite
insistent for her to do it."

Actually, doesn't he mean he bullied her into it?

Dr Wendy Chapman is 46, recovering from an operation to treat breast cancer and if it is
found that her actions rendered her unfit to practise, she could face a
range of measures from a warning to being struck off.

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