By Dan Taylor - The Mail - 17.03.2024 - [UK] - [Ahmed Elshafey]
A doctor suspended after kissing a patient's hand and making 'inappropriate' comments is due to face a review.
The doctor who made sexually motivated 'inappropriate' remarks to two patients had been suspended for five months. Dr Ahmed Elshafey made remarks to two patients and acted inappropriately with a colleague.
According to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, he works in Barrow. The MPTS met last month to discuss the remarks made by Dr Elshafey, it was discovered that he made a number of inappropriate comments, including telling one patient he really liked her.
As well as this, he acted inappropriately with a nurse when she questioned him about his face mask.
On February 28, 2020, he attended to a patient at Furness General Hospital and during the consultation made inappropriate remarks. It was ruled that he complimented her hair; told her he really liked her, or words to that effect; and told her he would like to be friends with her outside of the hospital, or words to that effect.
On July 20, 2021, the doctor attended to another patient at the hospital. During the consultation he inappropriately took her hand and stroked her hand and wrist area. After this he removed his facemask and kissed her hand, saying “I thought to myself who is that pretty girl in that pretty red dress, I would have approached you, but I was working”, or words to the effect, before hugging her. Allegations of sexual motivation against both patients were dismissed.
In the summer of 2021 Dr Elshafey was found to have positioned himself in front of his office door so that a nurse, discussing with him the improper wearing of facemasks, could not leave the room. It was ruled that he told her he would not move from the door until she told him how to wear a mask without your glasses steaming up, or words to that effect.
A number of people gave evidence throughout the hearing, including the patient from the second incident The report reads: "Patient B refuted Dr Elshafey’s suggestion that he had tapped her on the shoulder rather than hugging her. She said that Dr Elshafey’s arms were around her and his hands were on her back in ‘a full-on hug’.
"Patient B accepted that she did not attempt to leave the consultation and said that she was ‘uncomfortable enough as it was’. Shesaid that, when Dr Elshafey hugged her, he was between her and the door."
According to the medical register, he qualified as a doctor at Tanta University in Egypt and was first registered in 2015. He has had interim restrictions on his practice placed on him since the beginning of June. MPTS tribunals make independent decisions about a doctor’s fitness to practise.
Dr Elshafey did not provide a witness statement but gave oral evidence. He outlined his personal and family history as context for the events that are the subject of the hearing.
He told the Tribunal that he was under great ‘troubles’ by the time he turned to work in May 2021. The tribunal decided to suspend Dr Elshafey for five months.
Jane McNicholas, Medical Director, UHMBT, said: "As soon as the Trust became aware of the allegations, we carried out an investigation and referred the doctor to the GMC." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.
Dignity4Patients Commentary: In medical environments where #Patients rely on their healthcare provider, even minor predatory #SexualBehaviors are unacceptable. In addition to a suspension, having a #Chaperone present can provide the necessary #PatientProtection to ensure the doctor's behaviour remains appropriate.