Can one be a good doctor and have a sexual relationship with one's patient?

This paper presents a qualitative exploration of social and sexual contact between general practitioners and their patients. Social contacts have been implicated in the development of sexual relationships between members of the mental health professions and their patients. However, there has been little examination of the implications for general practitioners. Six focus groups were conducted by teleconference with New Zealand general practitioners. Participant anonymity was maintained. Questions focused on issues of social and sexual contact in general practice. Major themes were extracted from the data. A range of definitions of 'patient', 'sexual contact' and 'social contact' were offered by the participants which demonstrated that 'grey areas' existed for them in relation to social and sexual relationships with patients. Mandatory reporting of colleagues for alleged sexual misconduct was not supported, informal mechanisms being preferred. General practitioners need to be aware of potential boundary violations in their practice. These issues are also important to address in the teaching of medical students, continuing medical education, and in the development of appropriate guidelines for general practice.