Doctor is struck off after falsely claiming patient was dead

A TRAINEE doctor has been struck off after a series of blunders at a Scottish hospital which threatened patient safety.

Dr Meto Onwuamaegbu, 26, had "serious failings" in his abilities as a doctor, the General Medical Council ruled yesterday.

He tried to blame others after a performance assessment found seven areas of his practice were "unacceptable".

The doctor gave misleading information about his dismissal from a training post at the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow, after ignoring instructions from a consultant.

He claimed that he had left the post voluntarily because it was "not contributing to his training".

Announcing the striking off order, panel chairwoman Leslie Alyson told him: "The areas of your practice found to be deficient are fundamental to safe practice in all specialities."

She added: "During this hearing, you have sought to implicate others for your failings and exculpated yourself from any responsibility in respect of your practice, blaming such factors as cultural differences and the structure of the environment you found yourself in.

"The panel considered that without insight, each of the deficiencies exhibited by you represents a risk to patient safety and the reputation of the profession."

The Nigerian-trained doctor, who was called by his first name Dr Meto at the hearing, first arrived in the UK in July 1999, and took up a variety of posts across the country.

He agreed to limit his practice after concerns were raised during a stint in Southport hospital, Ormskirk, leading to his first performance assessment.

Under the 16 undertakings, Dr Meto was required to tell the GMC about each new medical post he was taking up, and inform them of any disciplinary proceedings. He took a post as a cardiologist at the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow, but staff there raised concerns about his professional performance and attitude towards other junior medics.

The doctor was told to leave the hospital after asking a junior doctor to organise a CT scan for a patient, against the instructions of a consultant, the hearing was told. He argued with his colleague after she refused, and walked out without completing the patients' notes.

Hospital bosses were concerned about the doctor's honesty, after his version of events contrasted with that of two other medics and he was asked to leave the hospital.

After leaving the Glasgow hospital, Dr Meto was excluded from another post in the East Midlands after making false claims about colleagues and walking out of a night shift.

He criticised the care given to an intensive care patient, who he claimed had later died.

In fact, the patient had recovered and his claims were found to be groundless. He was given a verbal warning after making inaccurate allegations about colleagues, the hearing was told.

Ms Alyson said: "The panel is satisfied that your failings represented a serious departure from the principles set out in good medical practice and your lack of core skills and persistent lack of insight was behaviour fundamentally incompatible with being a doctor.

She added: "It considered you were incapable of developing the necessary insight and therefore erasure was the only means of protecting patients and the public interest."