A DISGRACED doctor who wrote false prescriptions to feed his addiction to painkillers has escaped being struck off.

Robin Wade avoided jail earlier this year when he admitted obtaining codeine-based drugs for himself with 22 false prescriptions.

He used his role as a family GP in Darlington to dupe chemists across the town into handing over painkillers after writing out prescriptions in his patients' names without their knowledge.

Teesside Crown Court heard earlier this year that his addiction to prescription painkillers was such that at one stage he even took to injecting pethadine and morphine from his surgery's own supply.

Dr Wade, 53, a GP at Moorlands Surgery, in Willow Road, had pleaded guilty to four offences of obtaining property by deception, and asked for 18 similar offences to be taken into account.

All of the offences were committed between February 19 and June 24 last year. He has since left.

Dr Wade was charged with obtaining property by deception and convicted of four counts at South Durham Magistrates' Court on April 26, this year.

He asked for 18 further offences to be taken into consideration and was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on June 20.

The GP, of Linden Avenue, Darlington, was ordered to pay £3,000 within six months or spend three months in prison.

Yesterday, the General Medical Council (GMC) announced his punishment. It imposed 12 conditions on his registration for 18 months. They were:

* He must not return to work that requires registration with the GMC until a medical supervisor agrees he is fit to do so.

* He must follow the advice of a regional postgraduate dean regarding his future career.

* He must obtain a medical supervisor's approval of suitability of any post before applying.

* He can only work in NHS posts.

* Only locum work can be done in practices with a minimum of three GPs and for no less than three months.

* He cannot do any out-of- hours work

* He can prescibe under strict controls.

* He must stop work if his medical supervisor advises.

* His performance will be passed on to others

* Must tell any new employer of the offence

* Must inform the GMC care review team about any new work

* He must keep evidence he has stuck to the conditions

Dr Howard Freeman, chairman of the panel, said: "The public expect appropriate standards of behaviour from a doctor and are entitled to expect that a registered practitioner will conduct himself in a professional manner, even when the doctor's actions do not directly affect patients.

"You have fallen below these standards and the panel considers that you may have damaged the reputation of, and undermined confidence in, the medical profession by your conduct.

"However, in all the circumstances, the panel has determined that it is sufficient, notwithstanding your conviction, to direct that your registration be subject to conditions for a period of 18 months."

Dr Wade appeared at the hearing in London to hear the decision yesterday. He will have to agree the suitability of any post with the GMC before he applies for a new job.