A chiropractor who told an obese patient she had 'plenty of insulation' after she complained of being cold in his clinic has been ordered to reflect on his actions.
Kevin Burns, who has over 40 years' experience, must write an 'in-depth reflective piece' about the incident, the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) has ruled.
The council found the experienced chiropractor had acted unprofessionally when he treated the woman for neck and arm pain over eight sessions in early 2023.
She had booked another appointment with him, but cancelled after the last session. The woman was clinically obese at the time, but was trying to lose weight.
The council heard Mr Burns, who has clinics in Hull, Sheffield and Doncaster, teased the patient about her weight several times despite knowing it was a sensitive topic.
When she complained of being 'freezing' in his treatment room, Mr Burns replied: 'Don't worry, you have plenty of insulation' and slapped her hip.
She told the chiropractor not to comment on her weight, telling him: 'Don't start, it doesn't help. It's not helpful for you to comment on my weight every time'.
In a voice note the woman recorded after the appointment, she said Mr Burns had hit 'my thigh, no he slapped my hip, like my a***.'
The council heard Kevin Burns, who runs clinics in Hull, Sheffield and Doncaster, teased the patient about her weight several times during her treatment (the Hull clinic is pictured)
At the tribunal, Mr Burns, who is in his 70s, said he had 'tapped' the woman on the leg and admitted he had made the insulation comment.
Later in the session, the patient said she had been lying on her back when Mr Burns grabbed her belly fat and told her 'we just need to burn this away'.
The chiropractor said he did not specifically recall this incident, but that he may have used the words 'burn this away' as this is something he might say.
Mr Burns denied grabbing her belly fat and moving it in the way she described but said that he might have touched her stomach.
The patient also claimed the chiropractor had not refastened her bra when she turned over from lying on her back onto her front.
Mr Burns said he did not refasten her bra because he was going to carry out an anterior thoracic adjustment, which can be uncomfortable with a bra strap in place.
He previously appeared before a GCC tribunal where the panel imposed a series of conditions he must abide by to continue working.
Now, he has appeared before the tribunal again for a review hearing where the panel decided to impose more conditions for 24 months.
Experienced chiropractor Kevin Burns must write an 'in-depth reflective piece' about his actions after he made a series of disparaging comments about a female patient's weight
He must write an 'in-depth reflective piece' reflecting on his actions to be reviewed by the tribunal before any future hearing review.
The piece must explain how he has changed and developed as a practitioner.
Mr Burns must also be supervised by a registered practitioner and meet with his supervisor every month to review his personal development plan.
The council said that it was appropriate to reference the woman's weight as this was a factor in her treatment, but that he should have stopped when she told him not to.
It said: 'A time came when she told Mr Burns that comments about her weight were unwanted and that he made one or more further remarks after she had told him this.
'The Committee found that this conduct, taken as a whole, was a failure to maintain professional boundaries and a failure to maintain a professional relationship.
'These were not minor failings. They were clinically unjustified acts of inappropriate physical touching accompanied by inappropriate comments which were a failure to maintain professional boundaries.
'In the Committee's judgement, they were serious and fell far short of the standards expected of a registered chiropractor.
'The Committee was of the view that a conditions of practice order in the terms set out below was the appropriate sanction.
'In the Committee's judgement, a period of twelve months is the appropriate period to enable Mr Burns to take the rehabilitative steps required by the conditions, to develop his insight further, and to make and evidence changes to his practice.'
The Daily Mail has contacted Burns Chiropractic for comment.