A FAMILY GP who fraudulently obtained prescription drugs to feed his addiction to powerful painkillers has been barred from working as a medic outside the NHS.

Dr Robin Wade was sentenced on Monday at Teesside Crown Court after admitting four counts of obtaining property by deception and asking for 18 similar offences to be taken into account.

The 53-year-old GP, who previously worked at Moorlands Surgery, in Willow Road, Darlington, was fined and told by a judge he had committed a grave breach of trust.

The General Medical Council (GMC), which is instigating proceedings against Dr Wade, has placed a number of strict conditions on his medical registration in the meantime.

His medical practice is confined to posts within the NHS and he can only work if supervised by a named, registered medical practitioner.

The restrictions also bar him from working as a locum and he cannot undertake any out-of-hours work, nor work for a deputising service.

If Dr Wade were to return to work, he would be required to complete a period of re-training, having already spent more than a year out of practice.

A spokeswoman for the GMC said it would be requesting details of Dr Wade's conviction from the court.

Dr Wade, of Linden Avenue, Darlington, wrote out prescriptions for drugs such as codeine phosphate and dihydrocodeine in his patients' names without their knowledge and then signed the back of them, indicating that he was a representative of the person concerned.

He was also said to have injected drugs such as pethadine and morphine from his surgery's own supply.

The deception offences came to light in June last year, prompting a joint police and NHS Counter Fraud Service investigation.

Dr Wade took leave of absence from his surgery shortly afterwards and was formally suspended by Darlington Primary Care Trust in September 2004.

The GP, who is no longer employed by the trust, was said in court to have since overcome his addictions and had also apologised to his former patients for his actions.