Health and Care Professions Council determination — substantive hearing

HCPTS suspends Harvey M Lee over cocaine-related practice and criminal conduct

The HCPTS panel suspended physiotherapist Harvey M Lee for 12 months after admitted misconduct involving patient treatment after cocaine use, assault and criminal damage. It acknowledged remorse and some remediation.

MedicWatch editorial · Published 25 June 2026 · Updated 22 September 2026

Suspension (suspended from practice) — 1 year

Data last checked: 22 September 2026Report a correction

What does “suspended from practice” mean?

The regulator imposed a fixed-term suspension in this decision. Its start date, appeal provisions and any later review affect whether it is currently in force. Check the official register for the practitioner's current status.

Concerning Harvey M Lee, physiotherapist (Health and Care Professions Council PH42703).

Decision date: 25 June 2026 · Hearing started 25 June 2026

In plain English

The HCPTS panel found that Harvey M Lee committed misconduct by treating patients after taking cocaine the previous evening, and through assault and criminal damage. It imposed a 12-month suspension, with a separate interim suspension pending appeal. The panel recognised remorse and some remedial steps but found continuing impairment. It identified potential patient harm, without evidence of actual harm, and considered striking off disproportionate.

Charges

The allegations concerned attending work and treating patients after using cocaine the previous evening, and assault and criminal damage in November 2022 for which he received a conditional discharge.

Findings

The panel accepted admissions to all factual particulars and found misconduct and current impairment on personal and public grounds. Treating patients after taking cocaine created a risk of significant harm through impaired judgement; the evidence did not establish actual patient harm. The panel acknowledged remorse, some insight and remedial steps but lacked up-to-date evidence that the concerns had been fully addressed. At the resumed hearing on 25 June 2026 it imposed a 12-month suspension from the operative date, subject to review. A separate interim suspension for up to 18 months covers the appeal period. The panel considered striking off disproportionate because the misconduct was capable of remediation.

Mitigating factors

• The Registrant pleaded guilty to the criminal matters and admitted all of the regulatory factual allegations’• The Registrant has shown a degree of insight, albeit it is not complete in respect of the risk of harm he could have exposed patients to by his attendance at work the day after taking cocaine;• The Registrant has shown remorse for his actions and has taken some remedial steps.

Aggravating factors

• The Registrant’s actions had the potential to expose patients to a risk of harm through impaired judgement taking by attending work the day after taking cocaine;• The Registrant’s convictions for common assault and criminal damage were in a domestic context.

Source

All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Health and Care Professions Council determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.

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