A HOSPITAL consultant who arranged for his injured wife to jump the queue at a busy A&E department has been suspended for misconduct.

Dr Brian Flavin’s intervention meant wife Oriel Flavin was seen, X-rayed and discharged within just 26 minutes of visiting the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Afterwards Dr Flavin, 48, took medical supplies from the hospital in order to treat his 49-year-old wife at home. He then falsified medical records to cover his tracks.

An internal investigation into his conduct was launched by NHS bosses after they received a tip-off from a member of staff.

Dr Flavin has since been suspended for a month following a disciplinary hearing held by the Medical Practitioner’s Tribunal Service but was spared from being struck off.

The panel heard that Dr Flavin was working in the A&E department on July 31 2016 when his wife, who is also a doctor, arrived with their son. The nature of her injury was not disclosed but she had earlier had a telephone conversation with her husband about her being seen.

The tribunal heard Dr Oriel Flavin was registered at the A&E department at 8.57pm, skipped the triage system and sent for an immediate X-ray. She was discharged at 9.23pm that night.

Explaining his actions, Dr Flavin said it was a busy night and the hospital was under-staffed. The tribunal concluded: “[Dr Flavin] was concerned that his son might have been disruptive within the department if required to wait for a period of time, or that he would require Dr Flavin’s supervision.

“This might have impacted on Dr Flavin’s A&E duties and his patients on an evening when the department was already short-staffed.”

Dr Flavin took intravenous fluid and dressings on four occasions and falsified documents to pretend his wife had attended A&E on these dates. He left Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust in August 2017 when a General Medical Council investigation was launched into his conduct.