Thank you for replying Doc John. I understand about the terms and conditions, yet I still feel there is a balance to be struck, and it would have been much more respectful to simply say via PM "Your post is off topic. Our options are to remove it to a new thread or to delete it. Which would you prefer?" Or to put "post originally posted in another thread" at the beginning of the new thread.
I see the comparison with a therapeutic relationship as a bit of a red herring. I don't think I in any way suggested it was comparable, however I think we have all (as people) have a duty to be respectful to one another, and personally I do not find it respectful to take a person's post out of context and make it into a thread without either gaining consent (which is not a word restricted to medical relationships in any sense) or informing other members of the community.
You are free to see it differently.