A DOCTOR has been accused of increasing the length of a patient’s prescription ‘for personal gain’.

Dr Zulfiqar Ali, who used to practise at St Georges Surgery in Blackburn, will face a misconduct hearing on Monday, where he will also face allegations that he made statements that were known to be false.

The allegations have been published by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service ahead of the hearing in Manchester.

It said: “The panel will inquire into the allegation that, during a consultation with Patient A in March 2013, Dr Ali issued an excessive prescription with the intention of sharing the medication with Patient A.

“It is alleged that his actions were misleading and dishonest in that he increased the length of Patient A’s prescription for personal gain and altered Patient A’s medical records with regards to the duration of the prescription.

“It is also alleged that, following the consultation, Dr Ali accepted a quantity of the excess medication from Patient A for his own personal use.”

The panel will also examine whether Dr Ali gave documentary and oral statements in relation to the incident which were ‘inconsistent, known to be false, and which intimated that Patient A was lying’.

It is alleged that Dr Ali made admissions before an Interim Orders Panel in September last year which had not formed part of his previous explanations, and that he drafted a witness statement for Patient A to sign, which contained information that ‘Dr Ali knew to be false and which was designed to excuse himself from any wrongdoing in relation to the consultation and subsequent events’.

Doctors whose fitness to practise is found to be impaired can face various sanctions, including conditions of practise and suspension or erasure from the doctors’ register.

St Georges Surgery, in Haslingden Road, said Dr Ali left the practice in May last year, but said it would not be appropriate to comment further before the hearing.