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Pakistani doctor walks out of surgery to have sex with nurse in UK: Report
The incident came to light during a fitness to practise hearing after Dr Anjum, who had been living in Pakistan, applied to return to work in the UK.
A Pakistani doctor allegedly left a patient under anaesthetic for about eight minutes at Tameside Hospital in Greater Manchester to have sex with a nurse in another operating theatre, a medical tribunal has been told.
Dr Suhail Anjum, 44, and the unnamed nurse were reportedly discovered in a “compromising position” by a colleague at the hospital in September 2023. The colleague was described as “shocked” after stumbling upon the pair, reported Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.
The incident came to light during a fitness to practise hearing after Dr Anjum, who had been living in Pakistan, applied to return to work in the UK. He admitted to the General Medical Council (GMC) that his behaviour was “shameful” and did not dispute the evidence presented against him.
The tribunal heard that Dr Anjum had asked for a “comfort break” midway through a procedure and requested another nurse to monitor the patient. Instead, he went to a separate operating theatre at the hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne, where he engaged in sexual activity with a woman identified in the hearing as Nurse C.
“The nurse who walked in on the pair had been ‘shocked and quickly walked through the theatre to the exit doors.’ It is right to say that no harm came to the patient when Dr Anjum was absent from the theatre and the procedure went on without further incident,” BBC quoted Andrew Molloy, representing the GMC, as saying.
Dr Anjum returned to the theatre after roughly eight minutes and completed the operation. He admitted he knew Nurse C was “likely to be nearby” and acknowledged that his actions could have put the patient at risk.
Speaking to the tribunal, he said, “It was quite shameful, to say the least. I only have myself to blame.” He added, “I offer my sincere apologies to everyone involved, and I want the opportunity to put this right,” and admitted he had let colleagues and the NHS trust down.
Dr Anjum said the incident occurred during a “stressful time” for his family, following the premature birth of his daughter, when he and his wife were struggling to connect. He told the tribunal he hopes to resume his career in the UK and promised that such a “one-off error of judgment” would not happen again.
