GP banned for bulk diagnosing hundreds of patients

A doctor who bulk diagnosed hundreds of patients with conditions including kidney disease, asthma, and depression has been banned from practising medicine.

Dr Inigo Blasco entered the diagnoses onto the records of more than 600 patients without examining them, while working as a GP partner at the Rochford Medical Practice in Essex between 2010 and 2012.

His registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) was cancelled after a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing in July, a report provided to the BBC on Thursday revealed.

Dr Blasco was not present at the hearing but had said he wanted to not "have anything to do with the GMC ever again".

Inconsistencies in Dr Blasco's computer records were first raised in 2012 when it was noted he had not seen patients before making notes about asthma reviews.

Dr Blasco believed his dishonesty would gain a financial reward for his practice by securing more quality and outcomes framework points, the report claimed.

He was suspended for 12 months after a hearing in 2018 where it was ruled his actions amounted to serious misconduct.

The suspension had been extended every year since.

Becky Miller, who chaired the tribunal, said the former doctor's actions "were a failure to provide good clinical care".

Mrs Miller said erasing Dr Blasco from the register was necessary because he had not shown he was safe to return to practise as a doctor.

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