Psychiatrist under Investigation

From the News and Star

A Cumbrian psychiatrist is being investigated by the General Medical Council, it has been revealed.

The probe, announced on Monday, will look into the competency of Mohamad Ahmad Mustapha.

The psychiatrist, who lived in staff accommodation in Carlisle, worked for the local mental health trust.

He practiced in the Kendal area up until six months ago, when concerns about his competency were raised.

Back then he worked for the Morecambe Bay trust, which recently merged with north Cumbria to form the Cumbria Partnership NHS Trust.

A spokeswoman for the trust, which is based at Carlisle’s Carleton Clinic, said Mr Mustapha is no longer employed by them.

She explained that, after concerns arose, the organisation started a formal process to assess his capability.

This resulted in his case being referred to the GMC. He has not worked as a psychiatrist for six months.

The GMC has now imposed restrictions on Mr Mustapha’s registration until June 2008, pending the outcome of the investigation.

No further details about the circumstances surrounding Mr Mustapha’s case have been made public.

The detailed conditions imposed by the GMC panel say Mr Mustapha must:

• Notify the GMC promptly of any professional appointment he accepts for which registration is required
  
• Inform the GMC of any formal disciplinary proceedings taken against him, or if he applies for employment outside the UK
  
• Confine his medical practice to NHS training posts at Senior House Officer level or below, where he will be supervised by a named consultant
  
• Not work as a locum or undertake any out-of-hours work or on-call duties
  
• Inform any employers and prospective employers of the conditions