UK: Doctor accused of abandoning patient mid-surgery for sexual encounter with nurse cleared to return to medical practice

Image: Jihad Watch

A senior doctor who left a patient unattended on an operating table in the middle of surgery to engage in a sexual encounter with a nurse in a nearby theatre has been cleared to resume his medical career.

Consultant anaesthetist Dr. Suhail Anjum, 44, was discovered in a “compromising position” with another nurse at Tameside General Hospital in 2023. The incident occurred while he was meant to be overseeing keyhole surgery to remove a patient’s gallbladder. Witnesses reported seeing Dr. Anjum fastening the cord of his trousers while his colleague’s underwear was exposed when another nurse unexpectedly walked in on the pair.

A disciplinary panel has described Dr. Anjum’s actions as “deplorable,” recognizing them as serious misconduct. However, the panel concluded that the likelihood of a repeat occurrence was “very low.” As a result, it ruled that a written warning should remain on his professional registration for a period of two years but determined that his fitness to practise medicine was not impaired.

Dr. Anjum, a father of three and a married man, expressed remorse over the incident, stating that he felt “shame and guilt at this horribly embarrassing incident.” He is currently working in his native Pakistan but has indicated a desire to return to the UK to continue his career within the NHS.

During the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing in Manchester, it was revealed that Dr. Anjum had left the patient mid-operation under the pretext of needing a “comfort break,” fully aware that Nurse C, with whom he engaged in the encounter, would likely be nearby. Another nurse, preparing equipment in a separate operating theatre, was shocked to discover the two engaging in sexual activity.

Dr. Anjum admitted all allegations against him, explaining that the incident occurred during a period of marital strain. “I have let down everybody,” he stated. “It was the lowest point of my career. I am genuinely sorry and shamed, and I fully recognise the seriousness of my behaviour. It was a one-off error, and I will never repeat this behaviour. I would like to assure the panel that it will not happen again, but that does not take away the guilt and embarrassment. I have only myself to blame.”

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)