A doctor who left a patient midway through an operation and had sex with a nurse has been issued with a warning about his serious misconduct.
Married father-of-three Dr Suhail Anjum, 44, and the unnamed nurse were caught in a “compromising position” by a shocked colleague who walked in on the pair at Tameside Hospital.
The consultant anaesthetist had asked another nursing colleague to monitor the male patient, who was under general anaesthetic, so he could go to the bathroom.
Instead, Dr Anjum went to another operating theatre – used partly as a storage room – at the hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, where sexual activity took place with Nurse C on September 16 2023.
Dr Anjum was absent from the operating room for eight minutes and the patient came to no harm.
Last week he told a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing he wanted to resume his career in the UK and relocate with his family after they had since moved to his native Pakistan where he worked as a doctor.
Dr Anjum promised there would never be a repeat of a “one-off error of judgment”.
A MPTS tribunal ruled he had “put his own interests before those of the patient and his colleagues” and the incident involving Nurse C “had the potential to distract Dr Anjum… and he may not have been able to give his full attention to the patient’s care”.
But it concluded that his fitness to practise was not impaired because of his misconduct and considered the risk of repetition to be “very low”.
No sanction was imposed on Dr Anjum but on Tuesday the disciplinary panel ruled it was necessary to place a warning on his registration.
Tribunal chairwoman Rebecca Miller said: “Dr Anjum was an experienced consultant anaesthetist in a position of responsibility.
“His actions were a significant departure from the standards expected of a medical professional, made more serious by his seniority, leadership role within the trust and level of expertise.
“The Tribunal notes that he ought to have exercised better judgment.
“The Tribunal accepted that Dr Anjum’s actions reflected a momentary lapse of judgment rather than a sustained pattern of behaviour.
“Dr Anjum has been honest since the incident, admitted the allegations, shown genuine remorse, and reflected at length on the impact of his behaviour on those involved.
“Nonetheless, the Tribunal determined that the issuing of a warning is appropriate and proportionate in this case. The warning will serve both as a deterrent and as a reminder to Dr Anjum of the importance of maintaining professional standards at all times.”
Dr Anjum had admitted engaging in sexual activity with Nurse C and that he knew she was “likely to be nearby” when he left his patient.
He also admitted his actions had the potential to put his patient at risk.