A doctor who failed to examine a body at a nursing home and later falsified the death certificate has been suspended for six months.

Dr Rajinder Lotay was called to Valley View Residential Home in Rochester after an elderly woman passed away.

But Dr Lotay did not perform a physical examination. Instead, it was claimed, she confirmed the death by saying “Oh yes, she’s dead, let’s go back to the office” in front of the dead woman’s grieving family.

Dr Lotay denied the allegations but earlier this year, a panel found her guilty of serious misconduct and ruled her fitness to practise impaired. She has now been suspended for six months by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

"The serious nature of your misconduct requires that the panel send a clear message to you, the public and the profession that misconduct of this nature is unacceptable" - chairman of the panel Sheleen McCormack

When the case concluded, chairman of the panel Sheleen McCormack told Dr Lotay: “Your misconduct occurred at a time when you were under significant stress as a result of caring for your long term partner who was ill.

“There is no evidence before the panel that you have behaved in such a manner either before or since these events and the panel is satisfied that the risk of you repeating your misconduct is low.

“However, the serious nature of your misconduct requires that the panel send a clear message to you, the public and the profession that misconduct of this nature is unacceptable. The panel has determined that this can be achieved by imposing a period of suspension.

“The panel has fixed the period of suspension at six months because of the seriousness of your misconduct and because it is not satisfied that as yet you have fully grasped the seriousness and consequences of your dishonesty.

"The period of six months will allow you sufficient time to reflect further on your misconduct and to address any residual concerns, whilst also ensuring that you do not become deskilled during the period of suspension.”

Following her 30-minute visit to the home in Maidstone Road, Dr Lotay, who was working as a locum for Medway On Call Care (Medocc) at the time, falsely recorded “no circulation, no respiration” on the death certificate despite not actually checking either.

The GP, who qualified in 1979, claimed she had examined the body, in December 2012, for two to three minutes; checking her pulse, checking her respiration and moving her arm and elbow to check for rigor mortis.

But the panel heard evidence from the matron who said she had not examined the body at all.

In a separate incident, Dr Lotay was found to have removed two patient feedback forms containing negative comments about her while working at a medical centre in London.

Dr Lotay’s registration will be suspended 28 days from the date of the decision, to give her time to appeal. The case will be reviewed before she is allowed to practise again. Dr Lotay has not worked for Medocc since December 2012.

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