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The doctor who allegedly cut Tom Williams's mouth as part of Bloodgate has been suspended by the General Medical Council pending an investigation into the claim.
According to Williams, Wendy Chapman used a scalpel to cut the inside of his mouth, at his insistence, to cover up the use of a blood capsule to fake a blood injury in the Heineken Cup loss to Leinster.
Chapman - an accident and emergency consultant at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust - was Harlequins' match-day doctor for the game in April.
The GMC said: "Dr Chapman has been suspended by the Interim Orders Panel. This is not a finding of fact, and no charges have been made. Our investigations are continuing and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."
The GMC has up to 18 months to consider whether to take action against Dr Chapman.
Williams was banned for four months over the scandal while former director of rugby Dean Richards and physio Steph Brennan received three and two-year suspensions respectively.
Meanwhile, the Rugby Football Union's drive to maximise revenue sees the launch today of yet another England rugby jersey, with a return to the all-white strip.
Reader views (1)
Technically you can't consent to an assault and the person doing the harm could be criminally liable and there have been prosecutions. However, actors have consented to being cut, for instance, and no action was taken. Also plastic surgeons routinely carry out operations they do not feel are necessary. Of course the GMC could be ignoring the act of causing a minor injury and just look at bringing the profession into disrepute. After hearing that doctors will be given £5 for every swine flu jab they administer, this will no mean task! Whatever way the GMC look at it, it could be a most interesting case.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey
