When faced with treating an elderly but difficult patient at a nursing home, Dr Gary Simpson didn't hold back, bite his lip or even mince his words.

Instead the family GP smacked and berated the 96-year old woman when she began lashing out at him. A medical tribunal heard 58-year old Simpson knelt over the confused pensioner - who suffers from dementia and waved his finger in her face shouting: ''Don't you hit me. Don't you dare hit me.'

He then allegedly smacked the hand of the frail old lady with such force that it caused reddening.

The five foot tall woman who had earlier refused to see Simpson despite having chest problems was so agitated by the incident, she told carers the following day: 'He won't get away with it, he hit me''.

Police were alerted but officers took no further action against Simpson and he was referred instead to the General Medical Council.

The incident took place on October 17 2014 when Simpson was called to examine the old lady known as Patient A and a second resident at Stocks Hall Nursing Home, in Burscough, near Ormskirk, Lancs. He denies wrongdoing.

Cavendish Press' coverage of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing - which continues - went in the Daily Mail and The Sun.

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