Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service determination — substantive hearing
MPTS tribunal clears Dr Philip Braakenburg, finding he punched patient in self-defence
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel has found that Dr Philip Braakenburg, a locum psychiatry registrar, did not commit misconduct when he punched a patient in the face, concluding he acted in self-defence after the patient attacked him and injured his eye.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 10 June 2026 · Updated 7 July 2026
No impairment found
Added to MedicWatch: 7 July 2026Report a correction
What does “no impairment found” mean?
The regulator considered the case and found that the practitioner's fitness to practise was not currently impaired. No restrictions are imposed.
Concerning Philip Braakenburg, doctor (General Medical Council 4306463).
Decision date: 10 June 2026 · Hearing started 8 June 2026 and ended 10 June 2026
In plain English
The MPTS tribunal found that Dr Philip Braakenburg, who was working as a locum psychiatry registrar, punched a patient once in the face after the patient attacked him, knocking off his glasses and injuring his eye. The tribunal decided he acted in self-defence in exceptional circumstances and that the force used was neither inappropriate nor excessive. It concluded his conduct did not amount to misconduct, that his fitness to practise was not impaired, and issued no warning.
Charges
The GMC alleged that on 1 December 2024, while working as a locum registrar in adult psychiatry, Dr Braakenburg struck or punched Patient A - a vulnerable patient whom he knew to be vulnerable - in the abdomen and the face following a consultation, and that his conduct involved the use of inappropriate and/or excessive force. Dr Braakenburg admitted that Patient A was vulnerable, that he had consulted with her, and that he had struck the patient in the face, but the alleged strike to the abdomen and the allegation of inappropriate or excessive force were disputed.
Findings
The incident was captured on CCTV. The tribunal found not proved that Dr Braakenburg struck Patient A in the abdomen. On the admitted punch to the face, it found that Patient A had thrown a tray at the doctor, grabbed his head, knocked off his glasses and scratched his eye before he struck the patient once to get away. The tribunal accepted he acted in self-defence, that the force was neither inappropriate nor excessive, and concluded his conduct did not amount to misconduct. It therefore did not go on to consider impairment, found his fitness to practise not impaired, and issued no warning; the existing conditions on his registration were revoked.
Source
All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.
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