Alan Cockeram denies inappropriate breast exam allegations

A Saint John doctor facing complaints from 26 women that he conducted unnecessary and inappropriate breast examinations says the claims are untrue.

"I have never and will never act inappropriately or in a self-gratifying manner towards any patient," said Dr. Alan Cockeram in a sworn affidavit filed with the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench last month, his first public response to the matter.

Cockeram is facing disciplinary proceedings by the New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons, which has established a board of inquiry to deal with the complaints.

Virtually all of the women allegeinappropriate or unwanted breast examinations while they were having unrelated medical issues dealt with.

Cockeram is an internal medicine specialist and gastroenterologist. His legal team has suggested that full physical exams, including breast exams, are common practice for specialists of Cockeram's generation.

He graduated from the University of Calgarymedical school in 1979.

I will continue to vigorously defend these false allegations against me.- Dr. Allan Cockeram

Cockeram says the breast exams have turned up several suspicious lumps over the years that women had been unaware of.

He says the complaints have damaged his reputation and practice and wrongly given the public the impression that he engaged in professional sexual misconduct.

Cockeram has been restricted to seeing only male patients since February of 2013.

"I will continue to vigorously defend these false allegations against me," hesaid in his affidavit, which was signed by him on Sept. 5.

Complaints began in 2011

The complaints began in the fall of 2011 when a single woman, who says she could not interest the College of Physicians and Surgeons in her story, made a sexual assault complaint about Cockeram directly tothe Saint John Police Force.

Police laid a criminal charge the following spring and publicity from that generated more complaints, whichcaused the college to initiate its own procedures.

By February of 2013, a total of nine criminal charges had been laid and 17 women had come forward to the college. However, in July 2013, Crown prosecutors withdrew all criminal charges, declaring them "not viable prosecutions.

But the College of Physicians and Surgeons continued its investigation, eventually dealing with 26 separate complaints.

In June 2014, the college determined there was sufficient reason to convene a formal board of inquiryinto Cockeram's conduct.

"There is a common theme in the complaints," state the minutes of a college meeting that was held to consider whether to proceed to a full inquiry.

In some cases the patients questioned whether such an examination was necessary at all based on their presenting symptom.

Some claimed that Cockeram persisted with the examination despite the patient raising concerns.In one case, the patient was examined twice in one month.

Other patients alleged the examination was performed improperly, either through clothing, or a covering or a Johnny shirtor in a manner not in keeping with appropriate practice.

Both breasts could be examined at the same time, or there would be no careful touching, but rather an approach the patients describe as "groping" or "fondling, read the minutes.

The three-person board of inquiry, which is comprised of Moncton-area family doctor Ginette Gagne-Koch, Fredericton urologist Peter Feero, and Fredericton lawyer Robert Breen, is expected convene within six months, according to the college's registrar Dr. Ed Schollenberg.

It is also expected to be the first public disciplinary hearing in the history of the college, following public access rule changes passed in 2009.