Greenwich: A doctor involved in professional controversy has denied there has ever been an allegation made against him.

Dr Sisir Kumar Ghosh, who practises at the Plumstead Medical Centre, says he has never, in his entire career, been the subject of a complaint.

But the General Medical Council (GMC), which upholds the standards of the profession, has confirmed Dr Ghosh is being investigated following a catalogue of complaints.

The doctor's denial came after an enquiry from the News Shopper relating to a complaint from a Crayford couple.

When we called to ask him about the complaint, the doctor sent a fax stating: "I have been in practice as a doctor for more than 27 years and have never had any type of allegation made against me."

He went on to describe the allegations as untrue and malicious, before threatening he would visit Woolwich Crown Court to obtain a legal "injection" sic to stop the News Shopper printing a story.

The couple, who are now seeking help for tranquilliser addiction at the Signpost centre in Shooter's Hill, have shown us prescriptions for combinations of drugs prescribed by him.

When we asked Dr Ghosh about prescriptions of Valium and Heminevrin, a hypnotic sleeping drug, he told us: "I don't prescribe those drugs any more."

As well as complaints relating to the prescriptions, the GMC also stated it is looking at a number of other allegations, but were unable to disclose details.

A dossier was handed to the professional body in 1999 by the Bromley, Bexley and Greenwich Health Authority which initially received complaints.

An undercover B B C reporter who visited Dr Ghosh's clinic in August as part of a nationwide investigation was given two prescriptions for 14 "date-rape" Rohypnol pills and 280 millilitres of Methadone after handing over £90 during the 25 minute appointment.

No urine test was carried out to check for addiction.

When he was questioned about the incident, Dr Ghosh said: "If I hadn't given him Rohypnol, if he was an addict, he would have just kept phoning up again and again to get it and as for the urine test it can take up to two weeks to get it done and it is expensive."

Since an article was printed in the News Shopper about the GMC's investigation into Dr Ghosh, which has been running since 1999, the News Shopper has received a large number of calls from former patients.

November 12, 2001 12:00