A DOCTOR who failed to recommend essential urgent care to patients at his village surgery has been banned from practising medicine for 12 months.

A hearing into Dr Christopher Allen was conducted by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), after he was investigated by the General Medical Council following concerns raised by his partners at the Fownhope Medical Centre.

He left the practice in April 2013, where he was the senior general practitioner partner.

The hearing heard in March 2011he diagnosed a possible pulmonary embolism but failed to arrange an immediate investigation and anticoagulant therapy. Another doctor referred the patient the following day.

A GP called Dennis Cox, who was asked by the GMC to create an expert report, said: "In my opinion, by failing to do this, he put Patient C’s life at risk as the pulmonary embolism could have extended and led to serious illness or death."

Between June 20 and 24, 2011 he failed to urgently admit a patient to hospital who was presenting with symptoms of acute coronary syndrome.

Dr Cox said the way in which Dr Allen dealt with the patient was similar to methods “used by doctors in the 1980s” which have now been revised and a life was put at risk as a result.

He was also investigated for the way he handled a number of other patients' assessment and treatment between March and December in 2011.

The tribunal also found that between April 2001 and April 2013 Dr Allen had provided medical care to a patient, who was not a registered patient at the surgery and was a close family relative.

He also prescribed medication on multiple occasions to the patient and kept an inadequate record of his clinical encounters with the patient, the hearing heard.

Dr Allen also made a false entry in the patient's medical records and also issued a prescription in his wife’s name, knowing that the medication was not for her.

The MPTS tribunal found that Dr Allen's fitness to practise is impaired by reason of misconduct, and suspended him from the medical register for 12 months.

The tribunal also imposed an immediate order of suspension to cover the 28 day appeal period.

Dr Allen was neither present nor represented at the hearing.

Dr Allen told the Hereford Times after the tribunal: "I retired four years ago- not a single patient in 39 years of being a GP ever complained about me. It was only my partners who wanted me to move sideways.

"I think it it totally unreasonable and a waste of time and money. I think I was a good GP- hopefully my patients thought so as well."

He said with regards to the patients who he was not meant to have treated properly, they have told him it was a injustice.

Dr Allen added: "I didn't follow the protocol that some people would have liked me to do but I think the patient is more important that the protocol."