A well-known British doctor of Indian origin has admitted to plagiarising material from other medical experts. Rajendra Persaud, who made his name as psychiatrist on the popular daytime TV show This Morning, told the General Medical Council that he had nicked four articles for his book From the Edge of the Couch in 2003.The 45-year-old doctor has also admitted passing off other researchers' work as his own in books and articles, the British media reported.Though Dr Persaud said at the Council's misconduct hearing in Manchester on Monday that his actions were no doubt "inappropriate" and "misleading", he denied being "dishonest" or behaving in a way to bring the profession into "disrepute".The GMC panel heard that allegations of plagiarism first surfaced against the doctor in an article in The Sunday Times in April 2006.Jeremy Donne, the counsel for the Council, told the hearing: "The articles, we say, speak for themselves and they all demonstrate the extent Dr Persaud has appropriated the work of others as his own."We further allege that Dr Persaud has been dishonest. . Dishonesty can be inferred from his repeated conduct in plagiarising the work of academics. thereby enhancing his professional reputation and standing with the public as well as enhancing himself in the press."Donne claimed that Dr Persaud was being "disingenuous" as he had acknowledged the original contributors to his book. "While it is true the book contains a general acknowledgement there's no, or certainly no adequate, attribution of passages themselves," he said.If found guilty, his name could be struck off the GMC’s register.
