Dr Gurkirit Kalkat, a GP at Thames View Health Centre, was suspended for a year in July 2024 after a tribunal found “serious misconduct” in his treatment of a patient.
The initial misconduct hearing revealed Dr Kalkat had beat himself in the chest and thrown himself against a door while shouting “stop hitting me” in an attempt to frame a vulnerable patient for assault.
The GP was trying to have the patient, who had drug issues, removed from his patient list – another attempt included lying that he (Dr Kalkat) had blood cancer and only had six more months to live, the 2024 tribunal heard.
According to the tribunal report, Dr Kalkat also told the patient that the health centre would pay for him to undergo private rehab – but only if he agreed to write to his MP and tell them how good the GP had been to him.
At a review hearing on July 29, the tribunal concluded that Dr Kalkat is “now fit to return to work” following his 12-month suspension, which ends on August 19.
It argued that, “although serious”, the misconduct was an “isolated incident” involving a single patient, and the GP has taken “significant steps” to remediate his practice.
A reflective log from Dr Kalkat, seen by the tribunal, said: “I felt very ashamed of my actions and wish to apologise unreservedly to the patient.
“I will use all the painful and shameful memories to help become a trustworthy and better clinician in the future.”
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Tribunal chair Sean Ell added: “Overall, the tribunal determined that Dr Kalkat has demonstrated sufficient insight into his past misconduct and has undertaken extensive remediation and reflection.
“His proactive approach, commitment to improvement, and the depth of his reflections support the conclusion that he has successfully addressed the concerns raised about his fitness to practise.
“As a result, the risk of repetition is now significantly reduced, and the tribunal is satisfied that he is safe to return to unrestricted practice.”
