A doctor reportedly left a patient under anaesthetic on an operating table to engage in sexual activity with a nurse in another room, a medical tribunal has heard.
Dr Suhail Anjum, 44, and the unnamed nurse were discovered in a “compromising position” by a “shocked” colleague at Tameside Hospital in Greater Manchester in September 2023.
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 did not dispute the evidence presented by the General Medical Council (GMC) and described his behaviour as “shameful.”
According to the hearing, the consultant anaesthetist requested a “comfort break” and asked a colleague to monitor a male patient mid-procedure. Instead, he went to another operating theatre at the hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne and had sex with a nurse referred to as Nurse C.
Andrew Molloy, representing the GMC, said the nurse who walked in on the pair was “shocked and quickly walked through the theatre to the exit doors.” Dr Anjum returned after about eight minutes and completed the procedure.
Mr Molloy added that no harm came to the patient while Dr Anjum was absent and the procedure continued without further incident. The nurse who discovered the incident reported it to her line manager.
Dr Anjum admitted the facts of the case, acknowledging his sexual activity with Nurse C and that he was aware she was “likely to be nearby” when he left the patient. He also admitted that his actions had the potential to put the patient at risk.
Speaking to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, Dr Anjum expressed remorse and vowed there would be no repeat of the “one-off error of judgment.” He said: “It was quite shameful, to say the least. I only have myself to blame.” He apologised to his colleagues and the NHS trust, adding: “I offer my sincere apologies to everyone involved and I want the opportunity to put this right.”
Dr Anjum explained that the incident occurred during a “stressful time” for his family, after he and his wife struggled to reconnect following the premature birth of his daughter.
The hearing is set to continue on Friday.