Manchester, UK: Dr. Suhail Anjum, a 44-year-old Pakistani-origin anaesthetist, admitted to abandoning a sedated patient mid-surgery to engage in sexual activity with a nurse at Tameside General Hospital, Greater Manchester, on September 16, 2023, a UK medical tribunal revealed. This unprecedented breach of medical ethics has raised serious questions about patient safety and professional conduct in healthcare settings.
During a gallbladder surgery, Dr. Anjum, tasked with overseeing anesthesia for five procedures that morning after that he left the operating theatre, claiming he needed a comfort break. He delegated his duties to an anesthetic nurse, referred to as Nurse SK. He then entered Theatre Eight, where he was caught in a compromising position with Nurse C (a different nurse). The incident was witnessed by scrub nurse Nurse NT, who reported it.
According to the BBC, “Dr Suhail Anjum, 44, and the unnamed nurse were caught in a ‘compromising position’ by a ‘shocked’ colleague at Tameside Hospital in Greater Manchester”. A scrub nurse, identified as Nurse NT, witnessed the incident while retrieving equipment, observing Dr. Anjum adjusting his trousers and Nurse C with her trousers around her knees.
Dr. Anjum returned to the surgery after approximately eight minutes, completing the procedure without harm to the patient according to The Sun 2025. GMC counsel Andrew Molloy told the tribunal: “It is right to say that no harm came to the patient when Dr Anjum was absent from the theatre and the procedure went on without further incident” as per BBC.
Dr. Anjum, a 2004 graduate of the University of Health Sciences in Lahore, Pakistan, began his UK medical career in 2011, working in Bristol, Milton Keynes, Dartford, and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Trust from 2015. After the incident, he left Tameside in February 2024 and returned to Pakistan shortly thereafter. He has not worked in Liverpool post-incident and is currently based in Pakistan, from where he hopes to resume his UK medical career.
Dr. Anjum attributed his actions to personal challenges, including his daughter’s premature birth in January 2023 and his wife’s traumatic delivery, which strained their marriage.
As per BBC, Giving evidence, he admitted: “It was quite shameful, to say the least. I only have myself to blame.” He went on: “I offer my sincere apologies to everyone involved and I want the opportunity to put this right.”
The Independent also reported him telling the tribunal: “It was quite shameful. I let down everybody,” acknowledging the risk to the patient and the burden on colleagues. He described the incident as a momentary lapse during a stressful period, expressing deep remorse and a commitment to prevent recurrence.
As reported by the BBC, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service determined that Dr. Suhail Anjum had prioritized his own interests over those of his patient and colleagues, with his sexual activity with Nurse C potentially distracting him from providing full attention to patient care, constituting serious misconduct despite no harm to the patient.
Tribunal chairwoman Rebecca Miller noted that Anjum was determined not to repeat the behavior, with a "very low" risk of recurrence, and the public finding of serious misconduct was sufficient to maintain confidence in the profession without impairing his fitness to practice.
No sanctions were imposed, but the hearing will reconvene in Manchester on Tuesday to consider a warning on his registration.
(Rh/Eth/VK/MSM)
