DOCTOR WHO - MEDIA DOCTOR'S FITNESS TO PRACTICE 'IMPAIRED'

A doctor who appeared on a number of television and radio programmes impaired his fitness to practice by plagiarising others' work, it has been ruled.

The General Medical Council (GMC) decided that Dr Raj Persaud had brought his profession into disrepute after he admitted passing off other people's work as his own.

His actions were described by a GMC panel as "dishonest" and likely to undermine public confidence in the medical profession.

He was accused of publishing a book – From the Edge of the Couch - which contained a number of copied passages and submitting a number of articles that had portions taken without credit from other sources.

The GMC panel will now decide what action to take against Dr Persaud.

Sanctions available include suspending his doctors' registration and erasing his name from the medical register so that he can no longer practice.

Dr Persaud appeared on programmes including This Morning and BBC Radio 4's All In The Mind.