Glasgow doctor who falsified 31 death certificates suspended for ten months

A doctor in Glasgow has been suspended for ten months after she deliberately filled out more than 30 death certificates incorrectly to avoid more work.

Dr Lea Cramsie was under investigation by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) due to misconduct between October 2024 and February 2025.

She had previously qualified as a doctor in Australia in 1978 and worked as a general practitioner within the Glasgow area.

At the time of the events, she had been working as a GP supporting those in nursing homes for seven years. She had been working as a doctor for more than 40 years.

Concerns were first raised in June 2025 regarding the completion of death certificates.

Dr Cramsie was accused of knowingly falsifying records by ticking the box to confirm the deaths had been reported to the procurator fiscal when she knew they had not.

This would have excluded the deaths from being selected for review by the Death Certification Review Service.

The MPTS report noted that this had occurred 31 times over six months and that her actions were “dishonest” and “persistent” with an element of premeditation.

A review of Dr Cramsie’s files found that while her actions did not harm anyone, her dishonesty was a major concern.

In a written statement, Dr Cramsie blamed her actions on a high-volume workload.

She said that her actions were her trying to exert some “tiny control” over what she viewed as a burdensome process.

She did not want to deal with death reviews as she “did not have the time or patience” for them, given her demanding role.

Although she says her actions have been “disastrous” for her professional standing, she maintains that she made the right ethical choice by prioritising other tasks.

The tribunal concluded that even if Dr Cramsie’s workload had been stressful, this was no excuse for dishonesty or deliberate misconduct.

The MPTS handed Dr Cramsie a ten-month suspension, after which a review will be held to decide if she can return to unrestricted practice.