Doctor Caught Having Sex During Surgery Allowed to Keep Practicing

A consultant anaesthetist who left a patient under general anaesthetic to have sex with a nurse during surgery has been allowed to continue practising medicine.

Dr Suhail Anjum, 44, was caught in a “compromising position” with a nurse at Tameside Hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in September 2023. He had told colleagues he was leaving the operating theatre for a bathroom break, but instead went to another theatre to meet the nurse. A colleague walked in on the pair and reported finding the nurse with her trousers down while Dr Anjum was tying his drawstring trousers.

Another nurse was left monitoring the patient in his absence. The patient was not harmed, but Dr Anjum was later dismissed from the hospital following an internal investigation.

At a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing, Dr Anjum admitted his conduct was “quite shameful,” saying he had let down his patient, colleagues and the NHS trust. He acknowledged that his actions could have placed the patient at risk but told the tribunal he intended to resume his medical career in the UK after relocating his family to Pakistan.

Tribunal chairwoman Rebecca Miller said his behaviour amounted to serious misconduct but noted the risk of repetition was very low. She said the public would recognise the high level of scrutiny he had already faced and that the formal finding of misconduct was sufficient to uphold professional standards.

The tribunal chose not to sanction Dr Anjum, though it may reconvene to decide whether to issue a formal warning on his registration.