A paramedic has been removed from the medical register after subjecting an overweight patient to a barrage of cruel and demeaning comments, including suggesting that she enjoyed eating “chips, chips and more chips”. Matthew Goodey, who worked at a GP surgery in Suffolk, also referred to the woman as a “big girl” and proposed that she be pushed in a sack barrow. The incidents took place during a phone consultation in July 2020, when Goodey was serving as an emergency care practitioner in Eye, Suffolk.
Details of the consultation
The patient, identified only as Service User F, had called seeking advice about leg and foot pain. During the conversation, Goodey questioned her weight and made several offensive remarks. He said, “I bet you were always told to finish your plate,” and “you don’t want to be sitting there in a chair with your feet up eating chips, chips and more chips”. The patient later reported feeling “taken aback” and distracted from the consultation, noting that she suffered from depression and the comments had a negative impact on her mental state.
Other complaints
Goodey faced additional complaints from other patients. In November 2020, a patient identified as Service User D confided that she had taken up smoking to stop self-harming. Goodey responded, “self-harming won’t kill you but smoking will”, causing her to leave in tears. The patient’s step-mother filed a formal complaint but was told Goodey would only receive a verbal warning. In September 2021, a 14-year-old girl (Service User F) complained that Goodey laughed sarcastically when she described difficulty breathing while swimming, leading her mother to end the appointment early. The girl was later diagnosed with an eating disorder.
Panel ruling
The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service found that Goodey’s comments were inappropriate and offensive, and that he had bullied multiple patients. The panel stated that while weight management may be clinically relevant, the manner in which Goodey addressed it was unacceptable. As a result, he was struck off the medical register. Goodey had been suspended and dismissed in March 2023 due to separate concerns.
