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Therapist to fight claims
A physiotherapist made inappropriate comments about his sex life and got a patient to demolish his garden wall as part of a therapy session, a tribunal has been told.
Stephen Sterling, who has practices in Sunderland and Seaham, is alleged to have performed acupuncture on a park bench and warned a customer to "stop being a wuss" when he complained about pain caused by the needles in his neck.
He is also said to have fired an air pistol at a clay sundial and urged the patient to do the same.
But the health worker says he is fighting the string of claims – which all relate to the same patient – and they will be considered by the conduct and competence committee of the Health Professions Council when it resumes next week.
Mr Sterling has been advised not to comment on the case , but told the Echo: "I know I'm going to walk away from this unscathed."
The Sterling Physiotherapy Practice specialises in areas including sports athletes, the elderly and children.
Mr Sterling is a chartered and state registered physiotherapist and acupuncturist and has spend a decade working with the NHS, the Army and in research.
As part of the claims against him, it is alleged that on several occasions he over-billed the patient at the centre of the case, including unauthorised billing for travel time and mileage from his home in Durham to Seaham Leisure Centre.
The centre confirmed to the Echo that he rented a space to treat patients until about a year ago.
Other allegations include that on several occasions he asked the patient to throw a ball to his sister's dog for the length of the session, made inappropriate comments concerning his earnings and sex and personal life, and arrived at treatment sessions "hung over" and bragging about his condition.
The complaint says he tried to disrupt the patient's holiday for his "own personal financial gain and pleasure".
The issue over the demolition of his garden wall states that the patient and his support worker were left to carry out the work, deemed inappropriate, while he went on another appointment.
All the incidents are said to have happened between December 2007 and June 2008 and relate to his work in Seaham.
Part of the hearing has already taken place, but was adjourned because of a lack of time. It will resume in London on Friday.
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Weather for Sunderland
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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