A DORSET family doctor who admitted kissing a woman patient on the lips during a consultation has given an undertaking not to practise medicine again.

A General Medical Council panel heard that Dr David Collinson, who qualified at Cambridge in 1974, was working as a GP at the Parkstone Health Centre in Poole when the incident took place in 2008.

The woman, described by the panel as “vulnerable and distressed with a long history of serious illness”, was recovering from surgery to remove two benign brain tumours.

The panel found the woman’s allegations that Dr Collinson visited her at her home in June 2008, told her “You are a very special patient”, or words to that effect, and put his arm around her were true.

Dr Collinson also admitted hugging the woman and wiping her face with a tissue during a consultation at the surgery in July. The panel did not find any of these actions inappropriate.

He admitted that he hugged the woman and kissed her mouth at the surgery in August, and that his conduct was not of the standard expected for a medical practitioner.

The panel found that the hug was not an abuse of his professional position, and had not been sexually motivated, but the kiss was.

Further allegations that he told the woman “I would not mind if you were stalking me”, fondled her and become sexually aroused during the same encounter were not proved.

The panel ruled that Dr Collinson’s action in kissing the patient on the mouth – described by him as a “moment of madness” – amounted to misconduct, which impaired his fitness to practise.

It took into account testimonials, appraisals and unsolicited cards and letters from patients before accepting his undertaking not to work again as a medical practitioner.

A spokesperson for Parkstone Health Centre in Mansfield Road said: “Dr Collinson retired from practice on March 31, 2009.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Bournemouth and Poole said: “We have high levels of satisfaction with our GPs locally.

“If people do have concerns then they should raise this in the first instance either with the practice or with our Patient Advice and Liaison Service, who can offer support and advice.