Consultant psychiatrist in "financial crisis" lied and put patients at risk by working two jobs at same time

Dr Aung Tint was found to be impaired after a hearing by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS).

The tribunal heard that for 13 months between March 30, 2020 and April 30, 2021, Dr Tint worked remote sessions as a Consultant Psychiatrist for Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (‘LSCFT’) and Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust (‘CNTW’), and received payment from both for working concurrent sessions.

He told panel members that the misconduct was principally financially motivated and described being in a “financial crisis” that is no longer the case.

It was alleged - and proved - that Dr Tint’s actions prevented him from being readily accessible to patients and/or colleagues and put patient safety at avoidable risk. Each Trust had been kept in the dark about his commitments and were deprived of the opportunity to risk assess his unavailability and consider what other measures needed to be put in place to ensure patient wellbeing.

It was further proved Dr Tint underwent an NHS appraisal and failed to declare the full scope of his practice and that in 2021, he failed to tell Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation trust that he had been suspended by LSCFT despite knowing that this was a condition of employment.

The Tribunal noted that there was no evidence to suggest that Dr Tint - believed to be based in the Preston area - had ever been unavailable, or had neglected his duties, but said the fact that the potential for such harm arose out of Dr Tint’s dishonest conduct “did render the patient safety issue both serious and significant.”

Panel members concluded that Dr Tint’s conduct fell so far short of the standards of conduct reasonably to be expected of a doctor that it amounted to serious misconduct. A report states: “Furthermore, the Tribunal considered that lying in his appraisal and misleading his Responsible Officer was a serious breach of the trust placed in Dr Tint by both his colleagues and the public. The Tribunal was satisfied Dr Tint’s behaviour was conduct that was unacceptable, and such that fellow practitioners would find deplorable.”

“Ashamed and devastated”

Dr Tint informed the Tribunal that he feels “ashamed and devastated” about his conduct and has made efforts to remediate his misconduct as well as making very early admissions about his behaviour. The Tribunal took the view that Dr Tint has sincerely reflected upon his conduct and the reasons for his poor judgement and decision-making. They considered the risk of repetition to be low.

A 12 month suspension from the medical register was deemed appropriate. A report states: “The Tribunal determined public confidence in the profession would be undermined and that it would be failing to uphold the overarching objective if an immediate order were not imposed in this case.”