Indian-origin cancer specialist banned from practicing in Britain says, ‘I will never work in that country again’
An Indian-origin cancer specialist has been struck off the UK medical register after a tribunal ruled his criminal conviction made him a risk to the public, meaning he can no longer practice medicine in the UK, a more serious sanction than being fired from his job.Shameer Chandran, an oncologist who previously worked at Newcastle Hospital, was sentenced to four years in prison in November after pleading guilty to two counts of controlling and coercive behavior and one count of cruelty to a person under 16.According to the BBC, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) has now ordered that his name be struck from the medical register.According to the BBC, Chandran did not attend his criminal trial or disciplinary proceedings at Carlisle Crown Court. Reports say he has fled the UK and there is an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Cumbria Police confirmed he was wanted.The tribunal described the crimes as serious and said the behavior involved repeated actions against vulnerable individuals.“It was directed at people who were vulnerable and contained elements of premeditation – seeking to obtain financial benefit from [his victim] Through intimidation,” the report said.The MPTS also found that Chandran had shown no understanding of the seriousness of his actions or their impact: “The tribunal considered that there was a real risk of him causing harm to someone in the future.”The tribunal said that allowing him to continue practicing medicine would seriously damage public confidence in the profession.Emails included in tribunal documents show Chandran criticized his treatment in Britain and said his medical career had been ruined.“I no longer care about the proceedings, as my career has already been destroyed,” he wrote to the General Medical Council (GMC).“I am completely disappointed with the way I was treated in the UK and I will never work in that country again. They treated me like a common criminal without caring about what I had to say and the impact of what they were doing.”Tribunal documents also revealed that Chandran had resigned from his NHS role and left the UK following the GMC’s action against him.“Due to the GMC’s action, I have had to resign from my job and leave the UK. I don’t know how I can help with these proceedings now, as I am not currently working,” he said in another email.Chandran received his MBBS degree from the University of Calicut Academy of Medical Sciences in Pariyaram, Kerala. He later told GMC that he no longer wanted to continue practicing oncology and began working with a friend in a private business while rebuilding his life.However, the tribunal said there was no evidence that he had accepted responsibility or taken steps to remedy his conduct.