A GP whose patient died following repeated prescription errors has been allowed to continue practising.
Mrs Doreen Froste, 72, of Birkby, died at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary on March 13, 2004, after being prescribed five-a-week daily doses of a drug for her severe arthritis.
The drug, Methotrexate, is only administered in weekly doses because of its toxicity.
Mrs Froste’s GP, Dr Manohar Singh, was yesterday criticised by a General Medical Council tribunal for his ‘repeated and severe errors’.
But the three-member panel yesterday concluded that the doctor, who runs Birkby Health Centre, Norwood Road, was still fit to practise.
Reaching its decision, panel chairman Prof David Katz said: “The panel does not consider that you are currently impaired.
“As of today you are not impaired by reason of misconduct.”
The tribunal, in Manchester, will today decide if Dr Singh will be issued with a formal warning.
Last week, the doctor admitted prescribing daily doses of Methotrexate on five occasions between July 2003 and February 2004.
He admitted failing to increase her dose of the drug despite letters from HRI’s rheumatology department.
Dr Singh was cleared of attempting to withhold Mrs Froste’s medical records from the West Yorkshire Coroner.
Criticising Dr Singh’s prescription errors, Prof Katz said: “You made repeated and severe errors.
“After your original error you failed to correct this on a further four occasions.
“Methotrexate is a potentially dangerous drug. Your failing fell seriously below the standard expected of a GP, especially in patient safety.”
But Prof Katz said the panel had taken into account that the events had taken place between six and seven years ago and had not reoccurred since.
ProfŠ Katz added that Dr Singh had since apologised and had taken steps to make sure such errors did not happen again.
Following the hearing, Mrs Froste’s son Andrew expressed his disappointment at the ruling.
Mr Froste, 47, of Lindley, said: “He has never apologised to me or my family in six years.
“If he had come to me six years ago and admitted his mistake and apologised then I wouldn’t be bothered.
“I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.”
Mr Froste also paid tribute to his mother, a great-grandmother whose arthritis caused her severe hip pain and made grasping objects difficult.
He said: “My mum was an honest working-class person. She never did anything wrong in her life.
“She trusted Dr Singh because he was a doctor and she was a nurse and you didn’t question doctors.
“She was a great family woman who loved her grandchildren. Towards the end when she was losing mobility her grandchildren were everything to her.”
