Bedfordshire GP Joseph Smith called teaching staff ‘morons’

A GP who forged a supervisor’s signature and feedback during his training and then “brazenly denied it” has been suspended for five months.

Joseph Smith worked under supervision at two Bedfordshire hospitals in 2018, with feedback completed at each shift.

When asked about forms over email, he replied: “I am away skiing and will not spend time spoon-feeding morons.”

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) said Dr Smith must “demonstrate insight”.

Dr Smith completed his GP training in April 2018, the same month the training body referred him to the General Medical Council.

MPTS heard that earlier that year he had booked out-of-hours shifts at Biggleswade Hospital and Bedford Hospital to fulfil his training requirement.

‘Upset and annoyance’

A feedback form, which included the cases he had dealt with, “learning areas” and competencies, was due to be completed with his supervisor at a shift in March, which he did not attend.

She later found the form had been filled in and included her name, which was misspelled, and a forged signature.

Dr Smith initially denied any wrong-doing and, in an email to the dean of the training body Health Education England, he expressed his “dismay, upset and annoyance” and “explicitly challenged the credibility” of his supervisor.

He admitted the allegation at tribunal and also agreed he did not follow protocol when he cancelled out-of-hours shifts.

Swore at nurse

He also admitted sending an email, apparently while on holiday, which accused the deanery of being “morons” and told them to “pull their finger out do some work”.

In August, while working as a newly-qualified GP at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre he swore at a nurse within earshot of a residents’ waiting area.

A week later, he swore in a resident’s presence to express that he did not care about the risks imposed by a drug she had used in an suspected overdose.

MPTS found both allegations proved.

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