A doctor who abandoned a patient mid-surgery under general anesthesia to engage in sexual activity with a nurse in a neighboring operating room will not be penalized. Dr. Suhail Anjum, a 44-year-old married father of three, and the unidentified nurse were discovered in a compromising situation by a shocked colleague at Tameside Hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, on September 16, 2023.
The senior consultant anaesthetist had informed another nurse that he needed to use the restroom and requested her to monitor the patient. Instead, he left for a different operating theater, partially used for storage, where the inappropriate encounter occurred. Following the incident report to hospital management, Dr. Anjum was dismissed in February 2024 after serving nine years at Tameside and Glossop NHS Trust.
During a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing, another nurse described witnessing the woman with her trousers around her knees and her underwear visible, while Dr. Anjum was adjusting his clothing. He was away from the operating room for eight minutes, and the patient remained unharmed.
Dr. Anjum expressed his desire to return to his medical career in the UK after relocating with his family to Pakistan, where he had been practicing as a doctor. He admitted his wrongdoing, acknowledging the shamefulness of his actions and taking full responsibility for letting down his patient, himself, the trust, and his colleagues.
The tribunal concluded that Dr. Anjum prioritized his own interests over those of the patient and colleagues, potentially leading to a distraction from providing adequate care. While the patient was unharmed, the tribunal deemed Dr. Anjum’s misconduct as serious but noted his genuine remorse and low likelihood of repeating such behavior.
Chairwoman Rebecca Miller stated that while the public and the profession would understand the scrutiny Dr. Anjum faced, the finding of serious misconduct was sufficient to maintain public confidence in professional standards without the need for a declaration of impaired fitness to practice. No sanctions were imposed, and the hearing will reconvene in Manchester to consider issuing a warning on Dr. Anjum’s registration.
Dr. Anjum admitted engaging in inappropriate behavior with Nurse C and acknowledged the risk it posed to the patient due to his actions while knowing the nurse was nearby.