A CALL has come for the resignation of a Canterbury city councillor after he was found guilty of professional misconduct in his work as a chiropractor.

Dr Christian Farthing has been suspended by the General Chiropractic Council, which recorded 13 breaches against him.

They included misrepresenting the gravity of a patients’ conditions and the treatment needed, using X-rays unnecessarily, failing to act in a patient’s best interest and inadequate record keeping.

Dr Farthing has denied malpractice and says he will appeal. The hearing by the GCC’s Professional Conduct Committee considered evidence from two patients.

Now Dr Farthing, whose election victory for the Liberal Democrats in Westgate ward ousted the sitting Labour councillor Jean Butcher, is under pressure to consider his position. It has also emerged that his party knew of the proceedings against him while backing him as a candidate.

Mrs Butcher, who is still a county councillor, says Dr Farthing should step down. She said: “I was very disappointed to lose my seat after doing a lot of hard work trying to achieve things for the community.

“I think he should resign. I will certainly stand again if there is a by-election.”

Tory group leader Harry Cragg added: “I am surprised that the Liberal Democrats adopted him as a candidate while knowing he was under scrutiny by the General Chiropractic Council.

“I think the right thing for Cllr Farthing to do is to reflect on the confidence of the people who voted for him. I understand he can appeal against the GCC decision and will be interested in seeing what he does.”

But Liberal Democrat and council leader Alex Perkins is backing Cllr Farthing. e said: “I have every faith in Dr Farthing as a councillor.

“During the election an outstanding number of people came forward to support him. They included many patients whose pain had been relieved by him. He is a brilliant man.

“I know his appeal against the GCC judgement will be successful and his name will be cleared.”

Council chief executive Colin Carmichael said there was no legal reason why Dr Farthing could not continue as a councillor.

* A PATIENT of chiropractor Christian Farthing believes she handed over nearly £2,000 for treatment she may not have needed.

Dr Farthing, a city councillor from Blean, was suspended for nine months by the General Chiropractic Council.

But his methods have been criticised by one patient whose complaints were upheld last week following an eight-day hearing in London.

Greta Ayres, 58, of Fairview Gardens, Sturry, claimed she felt pressured into signing up for a year’s treatment after which her life was made a misery.

She said: “I didn’t actually have back or neck pain but went to him because I had other breathing problems which I thought he might be able to help me with. You first have to watch a video about chiropractice and then I was asked whether I was prepared to spend up to £4,000 for treatment.

“I paid £85 for a consultation and an X-ray which he said revealed that I had spurs on my spine which would need a long course of treatment. He said it would cost £2,430 but reduced it to £1,985 if I paid in advance.

“Obviously, I was worried when he said I had this problem with my spine. I just accepted that he was right.”

But after seven months and 76 treatments, which included six X-rays, Mrs Ayres said she was left in worse pain than when she started. The clinic reimbursed part of the cost of her course.

Her husband Richard said: “Greta was in a terrible state. I had to help her in and out of the car.”

Mrs Ayres said: “I later discovered that all I had on my spine were a few calcium deposits which is quite normal for someone of my age. It was quite stressful to give evidence at the hearing but I was determined he should not get away with it. Now I feel vindicated by the decision of the GCC to suspend him.”

The complaints against Dr Farthing related to a period of about a year during 2000 and 2001 while he was working at the Hope Clinic in Broad Oak Road, Canterbury.

Scott and Veronica Hope, who set up the clinic in September 1999, took on Cllr Farthing in July 2000. Mrs Hope knew him from their time studying at the same Institute in Australia.

Mr Hope said: “My wife was going off on maternity leave and he was pretty much left to work on his own. But we did become concerned about the way he was doing things.

“Then we started to hear of the complaints and dismissed him.

“He has not been associated with us for nearly two years.”

* DR FARTHING, 29, has responded to the judgement of the General Chiropractic Council and the claims about his professional practices and says he will now appeal against their decision to suspend him.

He confirmed he was working at the Hope Clinic at the time that both patients consulted him and said he was following protocol and procedures which are used extensively throughout Australia, the USA, Canada and Europe.

He said he had left the clinic by mutual agreement and added: “It is rather gratifying personally that former patients that I had care of at the Hope Clinic have made enquiries as to the opening date of my own clinic which should be in a few months’ time.

“It is unfortunate that this hearing has occurred. My clinical practices and methods have been published in some of the most prestigious peer-reviewed journals internationally, including JMPT, SPINE and Index Medicus.

“For this fact, the result of the hearing is being moved to an appeal. The patients I have taken care of know how truly I did everything humanly possible to assist them.

“It’s an incredible shame that two individuals can attempt to threaten your very existence as a health care professional. I really don’t think they understand the repercussions.”