Pakistan doctor walks out of surgery for ‘comfort break' with nurse

A Pakistani doctor has admitted leaving a patient on the operating table during surgery to have a ‘comfort break’ with a nurse inside an operating theatre, foreign media reported.

Dr Suhail Anjum, 44, was working at Tameside General Hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, when the incident occurred on September 16, 2023.

According to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), the father of three walked out of an ongoing operation, leaving a patient under anaesthesia, to meet a colleague referred to as Nurse C.

The tribunal was told that Dr Anjum, who was overseeing a series of five keyhole gallbladder operations that morning, excused himself for a ‘comfort break’ during the third surgery.

Another nurse later discovered him in Theatre Number Eight, in what was described as a ‘compromising position’ with Nurse C.

Although the patient was not harmed and the procedure was successfully completed, the revelation triggered a misconduct investigation by the General Medical Council (GMC).

During the hearing, Dr. Anjum admitted engaging in inappropriate activity with Nurse C and acknowledged the seriousness of his behaviour. “I feel shame and guilt at this horribly embarrassing incident. I don’t know what I was thinking,” he told the tribunal.

He explained that the misconduct occurred during a period of personal strain, revealing that his youngest daughter had been born prematurely, leaving his wife traumatised and him burdened with increased family responsibilities.

“I was exhausted and breaking. It was a difficult and stressful time in our lives,” he said.

Dr Anjum described the episode as a ‘one-off error’ and insisted it would never be repeated. “It has been horribly embarrassing for all concerned. I have let everybody down. It was the lowest point of my career,” he added.

Originally from Pakistan, Dr Anjum graduated from the University of Health Sciences in Lahore in 2004 before moving to the UK in 2011. He held positions in Bristol, Milton Keynes, and Dartford before joining the Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Trust in 2015.

He continued working there until October 2024, later moving to Liverpool before returning to Pakistan in January 2025. He has since expressed his wish to resume his career in the UK, despite the ongoing tribunal proceedings.

Andrew Molloy, representing the GMC, told the tribunal that while no patient was harmed, Dr. Anjum’s conduct represented a serious breach of trust.

“There is no dispute that he left a patient during surgery and engaged in sexual activity with a nurse. This behaviour fell far short of the standards expected of a medical professional,” Molloy said.

The MPTS panel will now decide whether Dr Anjum’s fitness to practice has been impaired by his misconduct, which could affect his ability to continue working in the UK.