A BASILDON Hospital surgeon lied about the death of his mother because he was worried about failing his surgical exams, a hearing was told.

Sandeep Kukreti, a specialist in trauma and orthopaedics, concocted the story ahead of his professional exams in February last year.

He has now been suspended from practising for four months after being found guilty of misconduct by the General Medical Council.

A report of the hearing by panel chairman John Donnelly said: “Your fitness to practise is impaired by reason of your misleading and dishonest misconduct.

“You told the panel you accepted your behaviour at the time was deplorable.

“Your serious breach of good medical practice involved dishonesty over a period of two weeks.”

A GMC fitness to practise hearing in London heard Mr Kukreti was given four days of special paid leave from his job in January 2010 after saying his father was seriously ill and he needed to travel to India.

He later called the hospital to say he would not return to work for another two days.

The truth was he was still in the country and revising for the exams he had failed on four previous occasions.

Mr Kukreti was due to take the exam on February 7, in Bristol.

On February 4, he called the manager of the Intercollegiate Specialty Boards, which ran the exams, to say his mother, not his father, had died and he would have to postpone the exam.

When the board pressed for copies of flight tickets he confessed to making up the story, saying he “lost confidence” and wanted to cancel the exams and avoid paying £1,275 fees.

He later admitted his mother was not dead, but had walked out on the family 20 years ago, and asked that the deceit remained confidential.

Mr Kukreti was also found guilty of failing to ensure cover for his clinical duties at the hospital when he attended training sessions in March and September 2010.

A third charge that he failed to call in sick before missing a morning work shift at the hospital was also proved.

The panel heard Mr Kukreti was a capable surgeon who had experienced stressful conditions at the time, and he had shown remorse and there was no sign of any repeat behaviour.

A hospital spokeswoman said he had 28 days to appeal the decision and it would take no action until after that date.

Kukreti already had a five-year official warning from the GMC issued in January 2010 after failing to declare a March 2009 conviction for a domestic assault.