Chapman to face GMC hearing

Williams: Faked blood injury

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Dr Wendy Chapman, the doctor involved in the Harlequins 'Bloodgate' scandal, has been summoned to appear before a General Medical Council misconduct hearing on August 23.

It is alleged that Chapman deliberately cut the lip of Quins wing Tom Williams to cover up the use of a fake blood capsule in the 2009 Heineken Cup quarter-finals against Leinster.

The GMC Fitness to Practice hearing will also hear allegations that the 46-year-old made statements to "deceive others that the injury occurred on the field".

In addition, Chapman has been accused of failing to tell a European Rugby Cup disciplinary hearing that she had caused the injury to Williams' lip.

The GMC has alleged that the conduct of Chapman "was likely to bring the profession into disrepute and was dishonest". She could be struck off if found guilty.

Capsule

Harlequins physio Steph Brennan provided Williams with the blood capsule on the instruction of director of rugby Dean Richards.

The incident was designed to bring specialist kicker Nick Evans back into the game through a blood replacement and resulted in a three-year ban for Richards, who admitted to faking blood injuries on other occasions, and the club were fined £259,000.

In a European Rugby Cup appeals hearing Williams, who had a one-year suspension reduced to four months, said he asked Chapman to cut his lip as match officials and the Leinster medical staff had become suspicious.

Williams also claimed to agree to say he had cut his own mouth as Chapman was "concerned about the impact it could have on her career if it came out she had cut my lip".

He continued: "In order to protect her, we agreed that in the event the story of the fake injury was exposed I would say I cut my own lip."

The panel reserved judgement on Chapman as she was not present at the ERC appeals hearing.