Northampton GP suspended over relationship with patient he made pregnant

A doctor has been suspended for three months over a relationship with a vulnerable patient at the Northampton surgery where he was working.
Dr Hussain's case was heard this week by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal ServiceDr Hussain's case was heard this week by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service
Dr Hussain's case was heard this week by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service

Dr Atif Hussain was undertaking regular locum shifts at St Luke's Primary Care Centre in Duston in 2015 and 2016.

During that time, he examined Patient A on three occasions between November 2015 and November 2016. In November 2016 they began a relationship and two months later she became pregnant.

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The same month, the couple married in an Islamic ceremony but the marriage was ended in a traditional Islamic manner in front of witnesses two months later.

Dr Hussain admitted to a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel this week that he had established an "improper emotional and sexual relationship" with Patient A and continued the relationship when she registered at another surgery in January 2017.

He also admitted that Patient A was "vulnerable", but the panel accepted he did not know this until they had become a couple.

Chair of the panel Emma Boothroyd said: "Dr Hussain has breached a fundamental boundary between doctor andpatient in engaging in, and continuing with, an emotional and sexual relationship.

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"The tribunal has therefore concluded that Dr Hussain’s conduct fell so far short of the standards of conduct reasonably to be expected of a doctor as to amount to misconduct."

However the panel was also satisfied that Dr Hussain does not pose a risk to patient safety and that he has demonstrated sufficient evidence of remediation and insight such that he is unlikely to repeat his misconduct.

The panel decided the appropriate sanction was to suspend Dr Hussain for three months, beginning in four week's time.