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Ministry Prosecutes De-Registered Doctor

A doctor who was struck off by the Medical Council for medical benefit fraud has been convicted for continuing to treat patients.

Andrew Graham McNab, 47, was sentenced to 200 hours community service in the Hamilton District Court on Friday.

Mr McNab was de-registered by the New Zealand Medical Council in 1996 as a result of convictions for medical benefit fraud. He had applied to be re-registered later that same year but was turned down by the Medical Council, who did not consider him competent or fit to practice medicine.

The Hamilton District Court was told that Mr McNab began working at the Raglan Medical Centre in 1998 as a receptionist. Soon afterward several agencies expressed concern that Mr McNab was again treating patients despite written instructions from the Medical Council that he was not permitted to do so.

In September 1998, a prescription audit was undertaken by the Ministry of Health which revealed that Mr McNab had been prescribing medicines to patients and carrying out other activities as if he was a registered medical practitioner.

When questioned by Ministry of Health investigators, Mr McNab admitted that he might have transgressed on a couple of occasions, but generally his actions at the Medical Centre were akin to those of a practice manager/ nurse/ receptionist.

Ministry senior advisor Steve Anthony said there was no doubt that Mr McNab knew what he could and couldn't do and that there was a need for a deterrent.

For further information contact; Annie Coughlan, Media Advisor, 04 496 2483 or 025 277 5411 Internet Address; http://www.moh.govt.nz

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