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Doctor Admits to Unprofessional Conduct-A married doctor's career hangs in the balance after he admitted to a medical tribunal that he had sexual intercourse with a nurse in a separate operating theatre while a patient he was anaesthetizing was still under his care. The incident, which took place at Tameside Hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, has been under investigation by the General Medical Council (GMC), Daily Dazzling Dawn understands.
The doctor, Dr. Suhail Anjum, 44, a consultant anaesthetist, is a Pakistani national who has since moved back to his home country. He told the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) that he hoped to return to the UK to continue his career, describing the incident as a "one-off error of judgment." The tribunal heard that Dr. Anjum had asked another nursing colleague to monitor the patient for him so he could take a "comfort break," but instead, he went to another operating theatre to engage in sexual activity with a nurse, identified as Nurse C.
The Shocking Discovery-The incident came to light when another colleague, referred to as Nurse NT, entered the theatre and found the pair in a "compromising position." She testified to seeing Nurse C with her trousers lowered and her underwear exposed, while Dr. Anjum was tying the cord of his trousers. Nurse NT, who described herself as "shocked," quickly left the room. Dr. Anjum returned to his patient in Theatre Five approximately eight minutes after he had left. The patient was not harmed during the period of his absence, and the surgical procedure was completed without further incident.
Admitting Guilt and Offering an Apology-During the hearing, Dr. Anjum did not dispute the facts of the case and admitted that his actions had the potential to put his patient at risk. He expressed deep remorse, stating, "It was quite shameful, to say the least. I only have myself to blame." He went on to apologize to the patient, his colleagues, and the hospital trust, saying the job was his passion and the incident "breaks me to pieces every day when I think about it."
Dr. Anjum also attributed his actions to a "stressful time" in his personal life, citing the premature birth of his youngest child in January 2013, which caused his wife to have a "very traumatic delivery." He said the experience had a negative impact on his mental health and his relationship with his wife. The medical tribunal will now decide whether his fitness to practice is impaired due to his misconduct.
Implications and Next Steps-The tribunal will now hear submissions to determine if Dr. Anjum's misconduct has impaired his fitness to practice. While no harm came to the patient, the act of leaving a patient under anaesthetic unsupervised to engage in sexual activity is a serious breach of professional conduct. The fact that he worked at Tameside Hospital until February 2024 and has since moved back to Pakistan adds another layer of complexity to the case. His future as a medical practitioner in the UK will now be decided by the outcome of this hearing.
