PATIENTS of a family doctor found guilty of misconduct over the death of an Iraqi detainee have condemned a decision to strike him off the medical register as a “travesty”.

Scores of supporters of Dr Derek Keilloh, a widely-respected GP at Mayford House Surgery, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said they were devastated he had been banned from practising medicine following a 47-day Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing.

The 38-year-old former accident and emergency doctor at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton looked down and blinked as the medical watchdog said with regret it had no option but to issue its most severe sanction today (Friday, December 21).

Dr Keilloh supervised a failed resuscitation attempt to save the life of hotel receptionist Baha Mousa, who had been beaten by soldiers after his arrest as a suspected insurgent in Basra in 2003.

The former Queen’s Lancashire Regiment captain and medical officer had claimed while giving mouth-to-mouth and CPR he had only seen dried blood around nose of Mr Mousa, 26, who had suffered 93 separate injuries.

The panel heard at the time of Mr Mousa’s death, Dr Keilloh was eight weeks into the job, was inexperienced and inadequately-trained and had been given little support in a chaotic setting.

But they ruled he must have seen the injuries and had a duty to act over the incident, which was later condemned by David Cameron as “appalling”.

The MPTS said Dr Keilloh, a married father-of-two, did not do enough to protect other detainees from mistreatment, breaking a fundamental principle of the medical profession.

Dr Brian Alderman said: “It is considered that this action is the only way proper standards of conduct and behaviour may be upheld and trust in the profession as a whole may be restored.”

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Mousa’s father, Colonel Daoud Mousa, said: “I wanted the doctor to be banned for life. He did not have humanity in his heart when he was supposed to be caring for my son.”

A spokesman for Dr Keilloh, who has 28 days to appeal against the decision in the High Court, said he was extremely disappointed at the decision and was considering his options.

The spokesman said: “He would like to say how much he appreciated the wealth of support he has received from his family, patients, colleagues and friends.

“This support has helped him through these very prolonged and difficult hearings and hopefully will continue to support him in the future.”

Patients said they felt devastated after hearing the “outrageous” decision and called for a protest march.

They said Dr Keilloh had been made a scapegoat.

Former Northallerton councillor Doug Doherty said: “As one of his patients, I feel the outcome of the hearing has proven to be unjust, not only to him but to his community, because the community has lost an understanding and professional doctor.”

Patient Jean O'Hanlon said: “A very sad day for Northallerton, Dr Keilloh was an asset to both Mayford House and the NHS . Dr K will always be, in my opinion, the best GP that I have ever met. He must appeal.”

A spokesman for Mayford House Surgery said: “Whilst this will be a shock to his patients, we want to reassure local people that we have put GP cover in place for Dr Keilloh and the surgery will operate as normal.”