Dr. Mwimbi, convicted for assaulting a patient, attempts to apologize while insisting he is innocent of the charges against him
Blackpool: A doctor found guilty of punching a dementia patient is trying to apologize but still claims he didn’t do anything wrong. Dr. Xowi Mwimbi, who worked with elderly patients, hit a man after he was called a racist name back in August 2021.
Even though he was warned about the patient’s condition, Dr. Mwimbi reacted by pushing the man’s head and then punching him. After a trial, the jury decided he wasn’t acting in self-defense and found him guilty of mistreatment. He got a 12-month prison sentence in February 2024.
This week, the General Medical Council took action against him, saying his ability to practice medicine is affected by his conviction. Dr. Mwimbi disagrees but the panel has ruled that he can’t practice right now. They’re figuring out what to do next, which could include removing him from the medical register.
Documents show that while he accepts his conviction, he still believes he’s innocent. He even tried to apologize to the patient and the patient’s mother from prison but couldn’t get in touch with them.
After the incident, Dr. Mwimbi continued working at Blackpool Victoria Hospital until January 2022. He only stopped before his trial last year. Witnesses described feeling scared and shaken after seeing the assault, with one nurse worrying about what might happen to other vulnerable patients.
Dr. Mwimbi submitted over 15 testimonials to show he’s a good doctor and claims he’s eager to keep working safely. He insists that he was just trying to protect himself during the incident and has taken courses to improve his handling of aggressive patients.
However, the panel didn’t buy his arguments and found that he can’t practice medicine right now. They’ll decide on the next steps soon.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter LANCS LIVE NEWS and get all the biggest stories from across Lancashire direct to your inbox
