A community in Nottingham have voiced their anger over their former GP who was sanctioned after mistreating nine patients. Despite living next door to the Willows Medical Centre in Carlton, neighbours said they would have rather travelled elsewhere because they could not trust their local doctor Sylvester Nyatsuro.
Many said they are "not surprised" that the practice was repossessed in October 2016 after a healthcare assistant posed as a doctor and carried out internal examinations. It had 3,600 patients registered to a GP with just one full-time doctor and one GP locum, and the CQC suspended services because of how it was being run.
A total of 30 allegations were made by the General Medical Council (GMC, an online list of doctors registered to practice in the UK) against Dr Nyatsuro, originally from Zimbabwe, and 26 of these were either admitted by Dr Nyatsuro or found proven by a Medical Practitioners' Tribunal (MPTS). His fitness to practice was determined to be impaired during a tribunal at the MPTS centre in Manchester due to misconduct, and it was determined he should be sanctioned.
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When Nottinghamshire Live visited his home address, neighbours claimed that he fled the country with his family. One resident, who has described them as a "normal family", added: "I have never had any suspicions. He was at work most of the time, so I was talking to his wife who was some sort of African princess.
"His children were well-behaved, they were just like a normal family. It is shocking really, especially when it involves someone who is on your doorstep."
The sanctions given are conditions for 18 months on his registration. These include telling the GMC relevant information within a certain timeframe, only working in a group practice setting where there- are a minimum of two GP partners or employed GPs (excluding himself), only working as a salaried or locum GP and that he must be supervised in all of his posts by a clinical supervisor plus more.
The neighbour added: "One day they just left their home without any explanation. They left many things behind, it was weird.
"It is definitely concerning. It is very naughty what he did."
The medical centre in Carlton was closed and has been replaced by a funeral service. Maureen McAdam, who lives next door, said she has never been to Dr Nyatsuro because she did not trust him.
The 72-year-old said the only time she would go there is "when I am dead". She added: "Which is appropriate because it is a funeral service now, it is not a medical centre anymore.
"I would roll over the fence and that would be it. But I have never stepped into that clinic.
"There were people working there pretending to be doctors. And he got away with it for so long."
Mrs McAdam has lived on Church Street for 15 years. She added: "I have always been registered with a different practice because that man could not be trusted. And it took so long for him to just buzz off.
"When everyone heard the news, people gathered outside the practice chanting and singing prayers which I thought was so weird. Why would people pray for him after he did what he did?"
Her next-door neighbour Maureen Bull, a former patient at the practice said she was left with no alternative but going straight to the hospital after an unpleasant experience. The 77-year-old added: "I think it was disgusting what he did to our community.
"If you cannot trust your local GP, then who can you trust? I have changed the GP after going through an ear infection.
"I have never been there after that. I am not surprised that they closed it, but I am disgusted."
She added: "It was a whole circus when he left. Lots of people were outside the clinic, singing and praying for him."
Jo Hickling, a 90-year-old who lives in the area, added: "We have never been there because we have our doctor. It was shocking when we heard about it. We just never went in there."
Hamid Mohammed, 75, said he is saddened by the closure of the clinic. He added: "It was a fantastic clinic. I think there was some mismanagement, but I liked the doctor.
"I was surprised to hear that some of the staff were not qualified, but I wonder if all the health staff nowadays are qualified. I doubt it.
"It was a fantastic surgery. I am sad that they had to close."
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