TWO health organisations have been asked to apologise for a “stressful” administrative error that saw 11 trainee GPs temporarily struck off.

Young GPs in Oxfordshire were barred from seeing patients for up to three weeks after not being put on a practitioners’ list.

All GPs must be put on the Medical Performers List, which is managed nationally by the NHS and keeps a record of who can practise medicine across England.

But 30 GPs across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire were abruptly told they were barred from seeing patients, leading to cancelling patients’ appointments at some GP surgeries in the county. Some GPs had to wait up to three weeks until they could continue seeing patients. Dr Jessica Harris, a GP partner at the Eynsham Medical Centre and Long Hanborough Surgery, said that one of her trainees was affected by the administrative error.

She said: “It was quite a stressful time. She’s a very good and conscientious doctor and she was advised to stop seeing patients.

“At the time we had no idea how long that would be.”

As a result of the mishap, the GP trainee had to stop practising for nearly three weeks until she could be added to the performers’ list.

According to the doctor, who has been practising for 30 years, some GP trainees in other surgeries were told by NHS England that they were suspended in the middle of seeing patients.

Long Hanborough Surgery had to cancel appointments as a result of the GP’s suspension, as it was only given a day’s notice that the trainee could not see patients.

Dr Harris added: “It had an impact on our patients as our surgery is struggling with capacity issues, all practices in the area are running at full capacity, and losing a doctor will result in appointments being cancelled.

“It had an impact on the trainee’s as well as the whole situation was incredibly stressful.”

NHS England Thames Valley spokeswoman Katie Breeze said: “NHS England recognises the disruption caused and worked with partners to quickly rectify the situation. In many cases, these young doctors were included on the MPL [Medical Performers List] within a week.”

Chief executive of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Local Medical Committee Dr Paul Roblin said that the Health Education Thames Valley and NHS England should apologise to GPs who were affected by the issue.

The Oxford city centre GP added: “This issue effectively means they [GP trainees] were practicing illegally through no fault of their own. They should have been getting them through the process.

“[As a result] it would have been more difficult for practice managers to deal with booking appointments, leading many appointments to be cancelled.”