A locum GP has been permanently struck off the UK medical register after a Medical Practitioners Tribunal ruled that his fitness to practise was impaired by serious misconduct, including repeatedly pressuring a Muslim woman to remove her face veil during a consultation despite her clear explanation that she wore it for religious reasons.
Dr Keith Wolverson, qualified with an MB BS from the University of London in 1996, was not present and not represented when the tribunal delivered its final decision on 10 April 2026.
The panel, chaired by Mrs Emma Gilberthorpe, concluded that his “persistent lack of insight” and “flagrant disregard for the regulatory process” made any continued registration incompatible with the protection of the public, especially vulnerable patients from faith communities.
The case first came to light in 2018 when Dr Wolverson was working as a locum at Urgent Care Centres in Derby and Stoke. He admitted recording inappropriate comments in medical notes about the English language skills of several patients.
More seriously, on May 13, 2018, Ms A – a Muslim woman wearing her face veil for religious reasons – attended a consultation with her child.
The tribunal found that Dr Wolverson asked her to remove the veil, and despite being told it was for religious reasons and that she did not wish to remove it, he repeated the request several times and “caused” her to remove it.
Worse still, in an email dated May 25, 2018, Dr Wolverson dishonestly claimed the reason for his actions was that Ms A “spoke poor English”, he was “struggling to understand her”, and he was “trying to look at her mouth movements to aid communication.”
The 2022 tribunal ruled that these actions, while not putting patients at direct clinical risk, “breached fundamental tenets of the medical profession and had brought the profession into disrepute.”
It described the behaviour as serious misconduct and imposed a nine-month suspension. Further misconduct emerged when, in late 2022, Dr Wolverson was found to have worked locum shifts while his registration was suspended, even after the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) wrote to him in November 2022 confirming the suspension was active and that no appeal had been lodged with the High Court.
He failed to inform his employer or agency and continued working. By the time of the April 2026 review hearing, Dr Wolverson had completely disengaged from the GMC since May 2025.
He provided no reflective statement, no evidence of CPD, no testimonials, and no proof of any remediation or insight. Multiple letters sent by the GMC and MPTS were returned marked “addressee gone away.”
In its determination on impairment, the tribunal stated: “The Tribunal concluded that the risk to patient safety had increased since the 2025 Tribunal. Dr Wolverson had not practised since 2022, giving rise to concerns about deskilling and an inability to be assured that he would not pose a risk to patients.
“The longer he failed to engage with the regulatory process, the greater this risk became… The Tribunal found that Dr Wolverson’s failure to engage with his regulator represented a clear departure from proper professional standards.”
GMC counsel Ms Fiona Clancy submitted that any doctor who works while suspended “ought to have complied and engaged with their regulator, as was their duty, to the highest degree.” She emphasised there was “no evidence of insight, nor any evidence of remediation.”
On April 10, 2026, after carefully considering all options, the tribunal rejected further suspension or conditions as insufficient.
It ruled: “Having balanced all the relevant factors, including the need to protect the public, uphold professional standards, and maintain confidence in the profession, the Tribunal determined that erasure was the only proportionate and appropriate sanction. It concluded that any lesser sanction would fail to address the current and ongoing risk to public protection and would not adequately reflect the seriousness of Dr Wolverson’s misconduct.”
The tribunal directed that Dr Wolverson’s name be erased from the medical register immediately. The current suspension remains in place during any appeal period. He has 28 days to appeal to the High Court.
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