A DOCTOR who sent a barrage of unwanted flowers, cards and texts to one of his patients has been suspended from practising for a further year.

Dr Chizoba Uzoh was initially banned from the profession for 12 months in May last year, after it was found that he accessed the female patient's medical records in attempts to pursue a relationship with her.

Now a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service review hearing has determined that Dr Uzoh, from Chapelford, should be suspended for a further year.

The 41-year-old was working as a locum GP at Murdishaw Health Centre in Runcorn in March 2016 when he had a consultation with the woman in question.

He then accessed the patient's medical records in order to obtain her phone number and address.

Dr Uzoh, of Monterey Close, then made a series of phone calls to her and sent her texts, flowers and a card.

The Nigeria-born doctor continued his attempts to make contact with the patient after she had told him to stop.

In one text message, Dr Uzoh said he was 'single, looking for a serious relationship and not intending to mess about' and asked her on a date.

On another occasion, the woman woke up to a voicemail saying he wanted to speak to her that morning so he could 'hear her voice before he went to work'.

Another text from Dr Uzoh said: "I've been feeling like a schoolboy meeting a girl he fancied for the first time.

"I haven't felt this way in a while."

The patient described feeling 'uncomfortable' because of Dr Uzoh's actions and told him she was 'scared and unnerved'.

He then sent her flowers, with a message in attached card reading: "This is my small way of saying sorry.

"I wonder how else I would have met you if not this way.

"My heart is pure, I care and I hope it would be possible to make you mine some day."

Dr Uzoh told the woman he 'did not mean to be creepy' and would 'leave her alone', but later messaged her asking why she would not 'give a chance to a good-looking guy who has a job with huge earning potential'.

The MPTS hearing on Tuesday, June 5, was read a letter sent from Dr Uzoh to the General Medical Council in April this year.

In the letter, he said: "I made my intentions known to her, that I was seeking something long term only after I had stopped working in the UK.

"I persisted in contacting her only because I thought she was playing hard to get, but I stopped when I realised she was serious and was distressed by it all.

"There was nothing sexual about my intentions as I was then a single dad and was hoping to find a partner – as a flawed human being, I made a mistake by contacting a patient when I shouldn't have.

"Having said this, I know doctors who are married to their patients.

"My intentions were noble – I only cared about her, I was never going to harm her.

"Everything happens for a reason."

The review hearing, at which Dr Uzoh was neither present or represented, suspended him from practising for a further year.

MPTS panel chairman Lindsey Rose said: "Whilst accepting that he is guilty of misconduct, Dr Uzoh has failed to grasp the concept of sexual misconduct and had stated that he is 'still at a loss' as to how the General Medical Council managed to determine that this matter was of a sexual nature.

"Dr Uzoh has not adequately demonstrated insight into the impact of his behaviour on the patient, the reputation of the profession or the public interest.

"The tribunal was concerned that Dr Uzoh has not remediated his behaviour – the tribunal concluded that there may be a risk to patient safety and public confidence in the profession may be undermined if a finding of impairment was not made.

"In all the circumstances, the tribunal found that Dr Uzoh's fitness to practise remains impaired by reason of his misconduct."