Horse racing vet struck off over faked GP documents

A vet has been struck off after she admitted creating false documents, purported to be from her GP, during a sporting governing body’s disciplinary process.

Bethan Cook’s actions were said to be “out of character” for her in newly published documents from RCVS disciplinary proceedings.

But the panel concluded she had engaged in “a sustained, serious departure from fundamental principles of honesty and integrity”, which meant no other sanction was appropriate.

Veterinary officer role

Miss Cook had worked as a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) veterinary officer for 10 years before resigning in June 2024.

The committee was told that a hearing had been due to take place that month after the authority launched its own disciplinary proceedings the previous September.

Miss Cook admitted creating reports and correspondence that were claimed to have come from her doctor prior to her resignation and allowing them to be submitted as part of that process.

She also acknowledged her actions had been misleading but was deemed to have denied a charge that they were dishonest, having claimed she did not have a “dishonest personality”.

Return to work

In evidence, she insisted she had not sought to gain an advantage through creating the documents and had “merely wanted to return to work”.

She also described experiencing a state of “paranoia of panic” and how she had been using alcohol around the time of the incidents, though she insisted she was seeking to explain, rather than excuse, her actions on the latter point.

Former BHA stipendiary steward Simon Cowley, who gave character evidence on Miss Cook’s behalf, said he had found her to be “diligent, scrupulous and honest” during 10 years of working at the BHA.

He added that he considered what she had admitted to be “completely out of character”.

Removal

But the case was brought to the college’s attention by BHA officials who had been part of its initial disciplinary process.

Although it acknowledged Miss Cook’s actions had not harmed or risked harming animals, the committee ruled it was necessary to remove her from the register in order to maintain public confidence in the profession.

It said she had “placed her own interests, in seeking to avoid or influence the employment disciplinary process, above the principles of honesty, integrity and professional accountability”.

Miss Cook has 28 days from being informed of the ruling to appeal against her removal from the register.