A RUNCORN doctor who was obsessed with reality TV and was accused of making false statements on his CV has lost a claim for unfair dismissal.
Dr Sushant Varma, 35, formerly a junior doctor at Halton Hospital, told a Liverpool tribunal that he was forced to leave his job because of the way disciplinary proceedings were brought against him.
Dr Varma was kept off work for two years and finally quit after supervisors discovered he had lied about appearing on Blind Date on his CV.
The tribunal heard he had continued to lie about his appearance on the show despite inquiries showing his claim to be false.
He was asked to stay at home in March 2002 following two incidents.
One involved allegations he made against a nurse in patients' notes and the second involved him allegedly prescribing inappropriate drugs to a patient.
Tribunal chairman Derek Reid said: 'We think the motivation for his resignation was that he became aware of the view being taken by his colleagues.
'He may have foreseen what might have occurred upon his return to work. This resignation could not be considered as a dismissal.'
Richard Bradley, representing the NHS, said: 'He was a young man who had made a number of trivial mistakes and (the trust) wanted to get to the bottom of it.'
Dr Varma told the tribunal that his suspension made him suicidal and that he had taken a paracetamol overdose.
Consultant surgeon John Williams told the tribunal he was concerned about Dr Varma's state of mind.
He said: 'He seemed to live in a fantasy world.
'I didn't feel it was safe to let him near patients until he had acknowledged his problems.'
It was claimed Dr Varma had a bizarre fascination with TV.
He said he had resigned after feeling pressured and bullied by colleagues.
