'Banned' Indian-born British doctor reinstated despite failing basic exams

London, Apr 11(ANI): Indian-born general practitioner Dr Arun Rauniar, who had been twice banned by the General Medical Council (GMC), has been reinstated despite failing basic exams.

Rauniar had been earlier banned for prescribing wrong drugs to patients, and performing operations without being professionally eligible for it.

Enraged former patients have urged the GMC to strike the foreign doctor off for good. The medical director of his primary care trust also raised concerns about his work as well as 'serious behavioural problems and cognitive difficulties'.

Rauniar, of Ilford, was first suspended in 2007, and again in 2010 after he did not show adequate improvement.

In 2008 he had been asked to give basic-level medical exams in clinical problem solving and judgment, where he scored just 381 when the pass mark was 480.

In one of the cases Rauniar wrongly prescribed a woman, who had suffered a minor stroke, powerful anti-dementia pills, which her family claims accelerated her death.

He also lied to patients saying he was a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, and did operations such as circumcisions at his clinic in Leyton, East London.

Rauniar appealed against the second suspension at the High Court, and his case was rejected, but now he is back at work in another practice in Leyton under supervision.

The GMC said he could work again after taking a 'refresher' course and be under another doctor's eye, and they are impressed by his willingness to try again.

"It's absolutely outrageous. This man is a liar and a danger to patients. The GMC attitude seems to be that he hasn't killed anyone," The Sun quoted one of the patient's son, whose mother died due to Rauniar's wrong prescription, as saying.

The GMC refused to comment on individual cases. (ANI)