Doctor is struck off

A Kidderminster doctor has been banned from practising by the General Medical Council for misconduct labelled "nothing short of scandalous".

Dr Pushpa Kaushal has been struck off the medical register after a number of charges affecting 13 patients at two care homes – Shenstone House in Kidderminster for adults with mental health problems and Areley House, in Worcester, for adults with drug and alcohol problems.

At the Fitness to Practise hearing his month, the panel decided that her name should be erased from the Medical Register with effect on October 31.

Charges included admitting six vulnerable patients for treatment when it was unsafe to do so, failing to provide diagnoses for all 13 patients in the two homes, poor record keeping across all 13 patients, failures in recording the reasons for medication given to seven patients, failures in the assessment of patients in eight instances, and poor prescribing practice involving ten separate patients including recommending unnecessary regimes.

A statement by the panel said: "The panel concurs with the submission that your failings in this regard were 'nothing short of scandalous'."

Kaushal was the registered provider at Shenstone House alongside her husband until his sudden death in 2003, when she became the sole provider. Numerous inspections of the home began in June 2006 when concerns were raised.