Barrow doctor who kissed patient's hand due to face review

Dr Ahmed Elshafety, who worked at Furness General Hospital in Barrow, was handed the sanction after a fitness to practise hearing.

A tribunal panel heard Dr Elshafety was working as a specialist in ophthalmology - eye care - when he made inappropriate comments to two patients and acted inappropriately towards a nurse.

He is due to face a review hearing at the end of his suspension to decide whether his fitness to practice is still impaired.

The doctor was handed a five-month suspension following the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing.

The panel ruled that during a consultation in February 2020, the doctor complimented the first woman's hair and told her he really liked her.

He also told her he would like to be friends with her outside the hospital, the panel heard.

In another incident in a consultation in July 2021, the doctor took another woman's hand and stroked it, before removing his face mask and kissing it, the panel heard.

He then said words to the effect of: "I thought to myself who is that pretty girl in that pretty red dress, I would have approached you, but I was working."

The tribunal heard he then asked if they could get coffee together and hugged her.

Later in the summer of 2021, the doctor was approached in his office by a nurse with regards to wearing a face mask.

He positioned himself in front of the door so she could not leave and told her he would not move from the door until she told him how to wear a mask without his glasses steaming up, the panel was told.

The hearing was told the doctor had apologised for his behaviour.

The review hearing is due to take place on March 28.

In a listing, the MPTS said: "The tribunal will review the case of Dr Elshafey, whose fitness to practise has previously been found impaired by reason of misconduct and whose registration is subject to suspension until 1 April 2024."