A doctor left a patient on an operating table under anaesthetic to go and have sex with a nurse in another room, a medical tribunal has heard.

Dr. Suhail Anjum, 44, and the unnamed nurse were caught in a "compromising position" by a "shocked" colleague at Tameside Hospital in Greater Manchester.

The incident, in September 2023, came to light in a fitness to practise hearing after Dr. Anjum - who had been living in Pakistan - applied to work in the UK again.

He did not dispute the evidence against him presented by the General Medical Council (GMC) during the hearing in Manchester, and said his behaviour had been "shameful".

The consultant anaesthetist had said he needed a "comfort break" and asked another nursing colleague to monitor the male patient halfway through the procedure.

Instead, Dr. Anjum went to another operating theatre at the hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne where he had sex with a woman referred to in the hearing as Nurse C.

The doctor was caught when a nurse at Tameside Hospital walked in on him.

Andrew Molloy, representing the GMC said the nurse who walked in on the pair had been "shocked and quickly walked through the theatre to the exit doors".

Dr. Anjum, who was gone for about eight minutes, came back into the theatre and completed his work.

Mr. Molloy added: "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."

He said the nurse who discovered them went on to report the matter to her line manager.

Before the case was opened by the GMC, Dr. Anjum said he did not dispute the facts of the case and admitted engaging in sexual activity with Nurse C.

'Potential risk'

He said 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.

Dr. Anjum told the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service he wanted to resume his career in the UK and promised there would never be a repeat of a "one-off error of judgment".

Giving evidence, Dr. Anjum said: "It was quite shameful, to say the least. I only have myself to blame."

He said he had let his colleagues and the NHS trust down.

He added: "I offer my sincere apologies to everyone involved and I want the opportunity to put this right."

The doctor added the incident happened after a "stressful time" for his family, when he and his wife were failing "to connect as a couple" following the premature birth of his daughter. (BBC, excluding headline)