A consultant dermatologist who was found guilty of professional misconduct after prescribing a drug with a known risk of stunting growth to an 11-year-old boy has been struck off the medical register.

A doctor’s use of a drug on a child, which has a known risk of stunting growth, was justified because of the “exceptional circumstances” involved, an inquiry has heard.

An expert in skin conditions has told a medical hearing he was “a bit shocked” to learn another consultant dermatologist had prescribed a medication, normally given to adults only, to an 11-year-old boy.

A consultant dermatologist failed to take skin biopsies from a number of his patients and failed to diagnose certain conditions or provide adequate treatments, a Medical Council hearing heard yesterday.