A BUNGLING GP lied on application forms to try and get work a hearing was told.

Dr Krishna Rukmani hid the fact that she had been found guilty of "deficient professional performance" by a regulatory body in a bid to be added to the GP list in Basildon.

The General Medical Council (GMC) panel heard the 62-year-old GP had been working in Hove, East Sussex, for seven years when she was reported in 2003 following a series of blunders.

The doctor was asked to sit a series of tests to prove her ability but instead they showed she was "deficient" in several areas including checking a patient's condition and providing treatment.

Steven Brassington for the GMC told the hearing: "It was recommended that she shouldn't be allowed to work as an independent and unsupervised practitioner.

"The GMC also ordered she comply with a number of conditions including telling all employers about the findings against her and the requirements set on her registration."

Instead in October 2005 Rukmani applied to join the GP list in Thurrock, making only brief reference to the proceedings against her and her application was rejected.

A year later she attempted to get on to the GP list in Basildon.

But Mr Brassington said in her job application she did not make reference to the GMC proceedings against her as required.

After becoming aware of Rukmani's alleged lie the Basildon PCT asked her to sit performance tests but she failed to turn up claiming to be sick.

Rukmani denies failing to disclose the GMC the case against Basildon PCT. She also denies "not demonstrating" in her practice and disagrees that her professional performance was unacceptable.

The GP, who qualified in Calcutta in 1975, also denies misconduct and that her practice is deficient.

The case continues.