A PSYCHIATRIST from Kidderminster is facing a probe by the General Medical Council - GMC.

Pending the outcome of the probe, the GMC has now imposed conditions on her right to continue in practice.

Addiction psychiatrist, Pushpa Kaushall, will now remain under restrictions until April, 3, 2009. One of the conditions stipulates that she must not run care homes.

The conditions, among other things, stipulate she must not act as a medical director or in a similar capacity in either residential care or nursing homes and she must not be involved in the management or running of either residential care or nursing homes and must not prescribe for residents of either care or nursing homes.

Also, she must notify the GMC promptly of any professional appointment she accepts for which GMC registration is required.

She must inform the GMC of any formal disciplinary proceedings taken against her by employers and she must inform the GMC if she applies for employment outside the UK.

Finally, she must inform any employers or prospective employers in respect of posts requiring GMC registration of the conditions that have been imposed.

No details of the circumstances leading to imposition of the conditions are given in the decision, which has just been published.

A spokesman for the GMC, however, said such cases were referred to the Interim Orders Panel when a doctor was facing allegations of such a nature that it may be necessary for the protection of members of the public, or otherwise be in the public interest or in the interests of the doctor, for the doctor's registration to be restricted while the allegations were resolved.

The spokesman said considerations taken into account included preserving public trust in the medical profession and maintaining good standards of conduct.