A doctor has been struck off after he asked a female colleague to help him write a Fifty Shades of Grey book about the hospital where they worked.
Dr Muhammad Asghar had been making advances towards the woman for two years, writing her love notes and had even bought a Ted Baker love heart necklace for her, a disciplinary hearing was told.
The married paediatrician texted the woman saying he wanted to pen an NHS version of EL James’ best-selling erotic novel, the panel heard.
Dr Asghar and his victim – identified only as Colleague A – were colleagues at Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria.
Among the messages he sent her was one in which he said: ‘I am going to write a book, but I need a partner, the book will be called “Fifty Shades of Furness General…”‘
After Asghar forcibly kissed her twice without consent, he was investigated, the hearing heard.
Although he claimed he could not remember the incidents happening, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel removed him from the profession after it found he had showed ‘a pattern of persistent sexually motivated behaviour’.
Dr Muhammad Asghar and his victim – identified only as Colleague A – were colleagues at Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria (pictured)
The hearing was told Asghar studied at the University of Punjab in Pakistan and qualified as a doctor in 1975.
It was while working in Barrow-in-Furness – part of the Morecambe Bay NHS Trust – between 2016 and 2018, he began to pester the woman.
As well as sending her messages, he asked other staff when she would next be at work, the panel was told.
The board heard this made another colleague ‘uncomfortable’ as they felt he had a ‘romantic interest’ which was ‘crossing a line’ and ‘unprofessional’.
He had sent numerous inappropriate text messages such as ‘I have a new car with a big back seat’ and suggested she come over for some alone time while his wife was away, the tribunal heard.
On a note, he wrote ‘I love you’ and showed it to her, the board heard.
In 2016, Asghar ‘grabbed’ his colleague’s face with both hands and tried to kiss her before she pushed him away, the board heard.
Colleague A told the tribunal it was ‘not aggressive’ but she recorded the footage on her phone with five other members of staff which was shown to the tribunal.
He also bought gifts and ‘repeatedly’ ask her to collect them from him, the panel heard.
On one occasion, after Colleague A ‘reluctantly’ went to pick up earrings – which Asghar said were from Pakistan for her daughter – she was seen by another doctor leaving his office looking ‘distressed’.
She was seen holding a jewellery box in her hand as she came out and told the other doctor that Asghar had tried to kiss her, the panel heard.
When the matter was investigated, Asghar claimed colleague A always initiated hugs and he denied kissing her.
The woman had not wanted to press charges but after the hospital investigated his behaviour, the disgraced doctor was brought before the MPTS.
Colleague A had told the panel the the fifty shades comment was ‘just a joke’.
A disciplinary hearing was told Dr Asghar asked a female colleague to help him write a 50 Shades of Grey book about the hospital where they worked
But as well as finding he had kissed her without her consent, the panel concluded: ‘Colleague A believed those comments to be meant as a joke.
‘The tribunal considered that, even if they were a joke, those comments were – especially in light of other events such as the [kissing] incident in November 2016 – inappropriate.
‘There were two incidents of serious sexual misconduct with a pattern of behaviour which was sexually motivated towards colleague A in between those incidents.
‘Asghar misused the substantial imbalance of power between their respective positions and in doing so abused the trust placed in him.
‘In the period between these two incidents which were 18 months apart, [he has] shown a pattern of persistent sexually motivated behaviour towards colleague A.
‘Asghar has not provided any evidence of insight or remediation in relation to his conduct.
‘The Tribunal determined therefore that the conduct proved against Asghar combined with the lack of remediation and insight on his part is so serious that his behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with his continued registration as a doctor.’
Source: Source: Sound Health and Lasting Wealth
