An award winning gastroenterologist who faked the results of research studies has been allowed to remain on the medical register because of his “exceptional and rare” clinical skills.

A General Medical Council fitness to practise panel ruled that Paul Hurlstone, who pioneered laser scanning confocal endomicroscopy in the United Kingdom for the detection and treatment of early bowel cancer, should be suspended from practice for three months.

His health, details of which have been kept confidential, was a second element of mitigation that persuaded the panel not to strike him off, although research misconduct is regarded as a particularly serious type of dishonesty.

The …