SURREY Councillor Allison Patton was reprimanded, given a three-day suspension from practising naturopathic medicine and fined $500 this month by the College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia for using “the title Physician, Doctor and Dr. without denoting she is a naturopathic doctor.”

Patton was introduced as “Dr. Allison Patton” by Safe Surrey Coalition’s Doug McCallum in August 2018 and she called herself “a community physician,” but she wasn’t identified as a naturopathic doctor.

In a public notification on their website, the College said that Patton had agreed to a consent order that included “an undertaking * not repeat the conduct of using the title Physician, Doctor and Dr. without denoting she is a naturopathic doctor or physician; * to identify and represent herself as a naturopathic doctor or physician as required by the College bylaws and advertising policy; * to abide by all current and future Bylaws, Standards, Policies, and Guidelines of the College.”

The College’s Inquiry Committee considered Patton’s conduct to be “serious.”