A former doctor who was struck off the medical register for touching a patient's breasts has been appointed to chair sexual misconduct hearings within a general practice group. Sudheer Shabir, now a senior manager and board member at Pennine GP Alliance, was previously a junior doctor.
In 2022, the General Medical Council (GMC) held a tribunal against Shabir after a patient, identified as Patient A, accused him of sexual misconduct during his foundation year two. Patient A reported that Shabir, while examining her for a sore throat and dizziness on September 23, 2019, lifted her sweatshirt above her breasts and touched her. She later stated that Shabir put his hand inside her bra and touched the underside of her breasts, an action the tribunal found was not clinically indicated and was sexually motivated.
The tribunal also found that Shabir failed to obtain verbal consent, offer a chaperone, provide privacy for undressing and dressing, ask the patient to remove her bra, explain the nature of his examination, or record his actions in her medical records. His behavior was deemed "fundamentally incompatible" with his continued practice as a doctor. Shabir's attempt to appeal the GMC's findings at the High Court in July 2023 was unsuccessful, and the decision to remove him from the medical register was upheld.
Despite being struck off, Shabir was hired as a senior manager by Pennine GP Alliance, an organization comprising 19 GP practices in the Calderdale area of northern England. This group receives partial funding from the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, an NHS organization. It is understood that Shabir has since chaired internal hearings at Pennine GP Alliance concerning allegations of sexual misconduct.
A source told the Daily Mail that staff were unaware of Shabir's background until early this year, raising concerns about his employment within an organization where many staff members are women. The source also indicated that management was aware of Shabir's history when he was hired approximately two years ago.
Pennine GP Alliance stated that it adheres to good recruitment practices and robust safeguarding measures, and follows disciplinary processes supported by HR and legal specialists. The organization has also publicly declared its support for White Ribbon UK, a charity focused on preventing violence against women.