A doctor in the United Kingdom, Dr. Suhail Anjum, 44, reportedly abandoned a patient under anaesthetic during surgery to engage in sexual activity with a nurse, as revealed during a recent medical tribunal.
The incident took place at Tameside Hospital in Greater Manchester in September 2023 and was disclosed during a fitness to practice hearing after Dr. Anjum, who had been living in Pakistan, sought to return to work in the UK.
According to BBC reports, Dr. Anjum did not contest the evidence presented by the General Medical Council (GMC) and admitted that his conduct was “shameful.”
During the hearing, it was revealed that Dr. Anjum had requested a “comfort break” and asked another nurse to monitor the male patient midway through the surgery. Instead, he entered a separate operating theatre in Ashton-under-Lyne, where he engaged in sexual relations with a woman identified as Nurse C.
Andrew Molloy, representing the GMC, stated that a colleague who discovered the pair was “shocked and quickly walked through the theatre to the exit doors.” Dr. Anjum was absent for approximately eight minutes before returning to complete the procedure. Mr. Molloy confirmed that “no harm came to the patient when Dr. Anjum was absent from the theatre and the procedure went on without further incident.”
The nurse who witnessed the encounter promptly reported the incident to her line manager. During the hearing, Dr. Anjum acknowledged that his actions could have placed the patient at risk and admitted he was aware that the nurse was “likely to be nearby” when he left the operating theatre.
Describing the event as a “one-off error of judgment,” Dr. Anjum expressed his desire to resume his medical career in the UK, stating, “It was quite shameful, to say the least. I only have myself to blame.” He further acknowledged the disappointment he caused to his colleagues and the NHS trust, offering his sincere apologies and expressing a wish to rectify his actions.
Dr. Anjum explained that the incident occurred during a “stressful time” for his family, following challenges in his relationship with his wife after the premature birth of their daughter.
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