A patient was struck off by his GP because of a dispute over a hayfever jab.

Abdul Hafeez demanded an independent investigation by the Health Service Ombudsman after the GP removed him from her list when he asked a simple question about the availability of the injection in June 2000.

Instead of responding to the question Dr Nishat Chohan, of The Medical Centre, Little Horton Lane, Bradford, sent Mr Hafeez a letter which contained inaccuracies about his medical background.

It told him that other patients did not moan like him and in badly worded English warned that: "The surgeries are not fish shop or corner newspaper shops where the customer get the things whatever he wishes to take."

The letter accused Mr Hafeez, of Crossley Street, Bradford, of registering with three GPs - a point the practice was later forced to admit was untrue.

And in a serious breach of patient confidentiality the letter was accompanied by a second document giving personal details about other patients at the practice.

Mr Hafeez, 42, a housing officer with Manchester City Council, complained to the former Bradford Health Authority but when it failed to deal with the complaint to his satisfaction he demanded the investigation by the ombudsman.

The ombudsman has now ruled that Dr Chohan did not respond appropriately to the request for an injection, that the removal of Mr Hafeez from her list was unreasonable and that the handling of the complaint was unprofessional.

It recommends that further support is given to the practice in dealing with complaints and communicating with patients.

The former health authority was investigated for responding to the complaint in a "dilatory and inadequate" way.

The ombudsman has upheld the complaint and said measures should be introduced to overhaul the complaints system.

The report also highlights the failure of the health authority to investigate the breach of patient confidentiality and find out if was a one-off error.

Mr Hafeez, said: "It was a simple question which led to a year of suffering. The letter was full of lies and insulting words in unprofessional language.

"When you live in a civilised society you expect dignity and respect. I am glad there is an organisation that can challenge these lies and do justice. I am very happy with the report and am fully satisfied it has now been investigated fully."

Colin McIlwain, of the corporate affairs directorate at West Yorkshire Health Authority, which has taken on the work of the former Bradford Health Authority, said it fully accepted the findings of the investigation.

"The last paragraph of the report includes an apology and we have undertaken to write to Mr Hafeez personally to apologise.

"We accept the findings of the ombudsman and we will be working with Bradford City Primary Care Trust to implement the recommendations.

"We will report back to the ombudsman on how we have implemented the recommendations and we will also report back to Mr Hafeez at this time."

No-one at Dr Chohan's practice was available for comment.