Dr. William Hunter Blair, 60, lost his medical licence for a year and must undergo an independent psychiatric assessment at a sexual behaviours clinic. He is also banned from practising psychotherapy.

But the 39-year-old former patient and the 4000 residents of Barrington and Clarks Harbour, 200 km south of Halifax, strongly disagree with the decision. They say the relationship involves consenting adults and that Blair, who has practised in the area for 18 years, did not begin a sexual relationship with Joanna Hyde until after the doctor–patient relationship had ended. The relationship was reported to the college by a colleague of Blair's.

The Nova Scotia Medical Act has strict rules against sexual relationships between physicians and patients, even if the doctor–patient relationship has ended. This is particularly true when psychotherapy is involved.

Hyde was not impressed by those rules. "I will not have a governing body from the land of Oz telling me that my emotions and my affections for someone are somehow misplaced or unhealthy," Hyde said.

This is the first time in the college's history of such cases that a patient has come forward publicly to state that she has no complaint against a doctor charged with professional misconduct. In the last 5 cases of sexual misconduct before the college, the physicians' licences were suspended for at least 18 months.

In support of Blair, and in an effort not to lose 1 of only 3 family physicians in a catchment area of 10 000 people, local residents presented the petition to Dr. Cameron Little, registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia.