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Surgeon faces GMC Viagra claim

A surgeon at a hospital in North Wales prescribed himself Viagra
 because he was too busy to go to his GP, the General Medical Council (GMC)  has heard.

Nigerian-born Dr Jonathan Bala used his sister-in-law’s name to get the  drug while working at Llandudno Hospital, the fitness to practise  panel in Manchester was told.

The 43-year-old has already been handed a six-month suspended sentence  for obtaining property by deception by a court in Caernarfon last year.

The intestinal surgeon, of Ormskirk, Lancashire, has admitted failing  to notify the GMC of his conviction, and that he told North Cumbria  Acute Hospitals NHS Trust he was not subject to any police investigations  when he started as a locum.

He said of his conviction: “At that time I still lived in Ormskirk,  working in Llandudno. I used to go there every day, two hours of  commuting, so it was quite a lot of stress. Not staying with my wife and three  children didn’t help.

“The increasing symptoms as a result of my medical conditions meant it  was very difficult for me to concentrate and I complained to the trust  that I was becoming exhausted.
“There were so many problems: family problems, medical problems,  working 84 hours a week – it was just too much at that time.” The hearing continues.

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