A DOCTOR who was previously suspended over a false whiplash scam while practising in Chester has now been struck off for a series of failings when prescribing weight-loss and Botox injections.

Anthony Kaufman provided a bogus medical report in 2014 so a relative could make a false whiplash claim. A subsequent tribunal suspended him for six months after the panel heard his wife put him up to the scam.

But Dr Kaufman, who after the suspension moved from Chester to Carlisle to work as a GP at Warwick Road Surgery, was made the subject of a complaint in November 2019 after she purchased weight loss injections online from Slim Jab Ltd, as prescribed by Dr Kaufman.

A hearing by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, for which the minutes have only recently been made available, said that 'Patient A' alleged the injections did not facilitate the weight loss as claimed, that Dr Kaufman did not provide the required follow-up care, and the cost of the injections was higher than the cost of the same medication at online pharmacies.

The Performance and Advisory Group (‘PAG’) at NHS England North East and Yorkshire (NHSE NEY) was informed by NHS England Cheshire and Merseyside of concerns regarding Dr Kaufman’s record keeping as it was believed that at the time he was working solely at the surgery at Carlisle, which came under its jurisdiction.

After Dr Kaufman claimed he was only working at the surgery, NHSE NEY was informed by GMC of the ongoing investigation. Dr Kaufman later apologised and said he did prescribe weight-loss injections for his clients, as well as Botox to a woman the panel heard was 'Ms F', a qualified nurse, for her business.

Ms F disclosed documents to the GMC and there were further concerns about Dr Kaufman administering Botox injections to three other patients.

The panel found Dr Kaufman had, between August 20, 2019 and October 2, 2019, he failed to get a full medical history for Patient A, failed to take her height, weight or blood pressure, carry out blood tests, or keep adequate records for her.

In addition, Dr Kaufman failed to inform Patient A's GP that he was prescribing her with the weight-loss pills Saxenda and Ozempix.

For Patients B, C and D, he had failed to see them face-to-face before prescribing Botox, or carry out a physical examination, or keep adequate records.

For Patients B and C, Dr Kaufman had failed to inform them about the appropriate action to take if they developed side effects.

Patient C was also prescribed Saxenda, even though there was no consultation regarding the medication and the pills were not even supposed to be administered to them.

Dr Kaufman admitted the allegations.

He said he had not deliberately intended to mislead NHSE NEY with regards to not disclosing his private work, he said it was the result of "carelessness" and he was "very stressed" at the time.

He accepted "he had misunderstood what had been asked of him", the panel heard.

The tribunal ruled such actions were dishonest.

GMC representative Alan Taylor said the misconduct in this case consisted of "serious repeated wide ranging clinical failures and serious breaches of duty over a considerable period of time involving four patients".

The three-month period covering the allegations was "just the tip of the iceberg", as Dr Kaufman had been prescribing Slim Jab patients from 2018 up to May 2020.

Dr Kaufman, who previously worked in Chester between 1988 and 2014, had accepted that his practice was seriously below standard in relation to Botox prescriptions and that he had not updated his practice between October 2013 and July 2021.

Mr Taylor stated that given Dr Kaufman’s history of dishonesty in 2014, the findings of the tribunal, and the lack of real genuine insight, it could not be said that his behaviour was unlikely to be repeated.

Dr Kaufman's representative, Laura Nash, said Dr Kaufman accepted the tribunal's findings amounted to misconduct.

The tribunal ruled that Dr Kaufman's overall standard of care fell "seriously below that expected of a reasonably competent general practitioner", "Dr Kaufman’s actions had put patients at risk of harm", and his fitness to practise was impaired.

Ms Nash submitted that it was accepted that Dr Kaufman had taken a ‘lackadaisical’ approach in allowing Ms F to make enquiries with patients which he should have made. However, it was not the case that there had been no assessment overall of patients.

Ms Nash stated that the evidence provided by Dr Kaufman in this case showed that remediation was a possibility, and that he had a willingness to engage in this process. She suggested the tribunal panel could impose a 12-month suspension as an alternative to being struck off.

But the tribunal found "Dr Kaufman lacks insight inasmuch as he has not brought himself to accept that he has behaved dishonestly at all, even in respect of the previous finding of dishonesty in 2014. Nor has he considered the impact his misconduct has had on the wider medical profession or public confidence."

Dr Kaufman was therefore struck off the register.