A British medical tribunal has ruled that a doctor who abandoned a patient under general anaesthesia to engage in sexual activity with a nurse poses a very low risk of repeating such misconduct.
Diaspora Digital Media reported that the doctor, 44-year-old consultant anaesthetist Dr Suhail Anjum, was caught in a compromising position with a nurse in Tameside Hospital, Greater Manchester, on September 16, 2023.
A shocked colleague discovered him after he claimed he was taking a bathroom break but instead went into another operating theatre used partly as a storage room.
Reports say Dr Anjum, a married father of three, carried out the sexual act with “Nurse C” while a patient remained on the operating table.
The incident alarmed hospital staff, and an internal investigation led to his dismissal in February 2024.
During a disciplinary hearing with the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) last week, Dr Anjum admitted the misconduct.
He explained that his family had already relocated to Pakistan, where he continued working as a doctor.
Dr Anjum pleaded with the tribunal for a chance to restart his medical career in the UK.
The tribunal ruled on Monday that his actions showed he “put his own interests before those of the patient and colleagues.”
Chairwoman Rebecca Miller said the misconduct was serious, with the potential to distract him from patient care.
However, she noted the patient’s safety had not been compromised.
Miller further explained that although the act was serious, the tribunal believed Dr Anjum had learned his lesson and would not repeat the behavior.
She stressed that the misconduct had already caused significant personal and professional consequences for him.
“The tribunal considered that public confidence in the medical profession would be maintained because of the scrutiny Dr Anjum faced and the finding of serious misconduct.
For that reason, it did not find his fitness to practise impaired,” Miller stated.
No sanctions were imposed on the doctor.
The tribunal will reconvene in Manchester on Tuesday to decide if a formal warning should be added to his registration.
The case has sparked renewed conversations about professional ethics in hospitals.
Medical experts argue that while the patient was unharmed, any distraction during surgery could lead to devastating consequences.
For now, Dr Anjum remains free to continue practicing medicine, though under intense public and professional scrutiny.