A DISHONEST doctor who continued to mis-prescribe himself controlled drugs after he was convicted for fraud and theft has been declared impaired to practice, a tribunal heard.

Dr Nicholas John David Arnold appeared before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal (MPT) on November 22 and 23 for a review of his impairment to work.

This came after he was suspended from practising for six months at a hearing in April as the tribunal deemed his misconduct to be so serious that action had to be taken to maintain public confidence in his profession.

While working as a GP partner at Three Chequers Medical Practice in Salisbury, between December 1, 2016, and April 24, 2017, Dr Arnold stole a prescription pad belonging to Musgrove Park Hospital. He also committed nine offences of fraud in that he made a false representation with the intention to gain medication.

Dr Arnold was given a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work by Salisbury Magistrates Court on April 13, 2018, which he has now served in its entirety.

Salisbury Journal: Three Chequers Medical Practice, where Dr Arnold worked when he mis-prescribed drugs.Three Chequers Medical Practice, where Dr Arnold worked when he mis-prescribed drugs. (Image: Google Maps)

An MPT held in April 2019 found Dr Arnold, who admitted the allegations, to be impaired to practice due to his conviction and an order was made for 18 months to prevent him from prescribing, administering or having primary responsibility for drugs unless agreed with his responsible officer.

This hearing came roughly three months after Dr Arnold joined the Cross Plain practice, in Durrington, as a salaried partner.

But on May 29, 2019, a pharmacist contacted Cross Plain Health Centre to query the authenticity of a handwritten prescription showing Dr Arnold's mentor's details typed at the bottom. He was concerned the patient had collected a prescription for the same medication just three weeks ago.

The patient arrived just before lunch and wanted to get the medication as urgently as possible. It later transpired that the patient was in fact Dr Arnold and he was suspended and dismissed from Cross Plain Health Centre on May 31, 2019.

Salisbury Journal: Dr Arnold temporarily worked at Cross Plain Practice in Durrington.Dr Arnold temporarily worked at Cross Plain Practice in Durrington. (Image: Google Maps)

A further police investigation followed arising from this and Dr Arnold appeared before the Crown Court in February 2022 but he was acquitted of two counts of fraud.

The latest tribunal determined that Dr Arnold's fitness to practice is no longer impaired because of his conviction and misconduct but it remains impaired due to matters that were considered in private and redacted from documentation.

Conditions on Dr Arnold’s registration were imposed for a period of 18 months and a review hearing should take place before the end of this period. He is no longer suspended from practising.

Dr Arnold told the tribunal that his clinical practice is based on truth and not lying. He said that he understands the importance of the truth and that telling the truth is at the heart of the doctor-patient relationship.

He added that, at the time of his breach, he had not considered public confidence but on reflection it did have an impact on public confidence.