Year’s suspension for doctor in ‘fake Covid certificate’ scandal

By Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter

A GP who approached a colleague to help her create false Covid vaccine certificates has been suspended for 12 months.

Dr Sonali Mukherjee-Bose, who was working for Operose Health at the Barlby Surgery in Kensington and Chelsea, had told a colleague there would be ‘no risk and good remuneration’ if they created the fake documents.

The person, referred to as Mr A in documents, however reported the messages from Dr Mukherjee-Bose to his regional manager. These were in turn passed on to the General Medical Council (GMC).

Dr Mukherjee-Bose said she had been approached by a private Russian patient asking whether she could either provide the vaccination or a certificate. She said she was also ‘pressured’ by two individuals who had been vaccinated and lived in the Middle East.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found Dr Mukherjee-Bose’s conduct “fell so far short of the standards of conduct reasonably to be expected of a doctor as to amount to serious misconduct”.

In a report detailing the decision, it is written how the GP approached Mr A asking him to create the fake certificates in October 2021. Dr Mukherjee-Bose sent Mr A text messages describing the ‘excellent opportunity’ and telling him she has ‘many waiting’.

Another says it is ‘easy work there is no risk and good remuneration’, adding Mr A would ‘probably make [the] same as your salary for a couple of hours’ work a month’.

Dr Mukherjee-Bose was subsequently interviewed and recorded as accepting she had asked Mr A to create the fake certificates for people who had not received the vaccine.

“She is recorded as stating that she had been placed under duress by external parties to do this, but after some thought had concluded this was morally wrong and she did not proceed,” the report notes. She was later suspended, and in October 2022 resigned from the surgery and Zen Health, where she also worked.

The Tribunal found inconsistencies with Dr Mukherjee-Bose’s evidence, and Ryan Donoghue, on behalf of the GMC, said Dr Mukherjee-Bose had sought to involve colleagues in her dishonesty, and that her actions, had they been carried out, would have presented ‘a clear risk to public health and safety’.

Defence counsel Leanne Woods said Dr Mukherjee-Bose’s position remained that she believed the patients had received vaccinations outside of the UK and added the GP understood the gravity of the allegations, having expressed regret and remorse. She also was said to have had a ‘long and distinguished’ medical career prior to these events.

The Tribunal Chair Zia Nabi found Dr Mukherjee-Bose’s actions would be considered ‘egregious and deplorable’ by members of the public and peers and that her behaviour ‘fell towards the upper end of seriousness’.

While describing her conduct as ‘serious’, the Tribunal found Dr Mukherjee-Bose’s conduct did not suggest she needed to be struck from the register, and that she does have some insight into her actions.

Dr Mukherjee-Bose, Operose Health and NHS England have all been approached for comment.

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