## Struck-Off Doctors Bypassing EU Borders: Convicted Cardiologist Among Cases Found Practising in Belgium
A cross-border investigation has exposed a significant regulatory vulnerability in European Union medical licensing systems. Journalists from De Tijd, Le Monde, and France Télévision uncovered evidence that physicians barred from practising in one EU member state have successfully obtained licences to work in another, raising questions about information-sharing mechanisms between national medical authorities.

The investigation identified at least four French doctors who had been struck off in France but subsequently secured practising licenses in Belgium. Among them, a 65-year-old French cardiologist convicted in April 2024 of sexually assaulting his patients was hired by Iris Hospitals South in Brussels. Hospital officials stated they were unaware of the physician's criminal record until contacted by journalists. The hospital group maintained that it followed established procedures, verifying the practitioner's licence status with Belgium's Federal Public Service for Health and the Order of Physicians. "The hospital had no legal basis, or any indication whatsoever, that would allow it to identify or suspect such a situation," spokesperson Céline Barcham said. The cardiologist was terminated following the journalistic alert.

The findings highlight potential gaps in how disciplinary actions against medical professionals are communicated across EU borders. While the European Union has mechanisms for recognising professional qualifications, the case suggests that disciplinary records or criminal convictions may not consistently follow practitioners between jurisdictions. This raises concerns about patient safety frameworks and the adequacy of existing information-exchange protocols designed to prevent disqualified professionals from continuing to practise medicine elsewhere in the bloc. Regulatory bodies in multiple EU member states could face increased scrutiny over whether current cross-border verification processes are sufficient to protect the public.
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- **Source**: The BMJ
- **Sector**: The Office
- **Tags**: EU medical regulation, cross-border licensing, physician discipline, patient safety, France Belgium
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-05-11 14:40:32
- **ID**: 81851
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/81851