A former doctor who was deregistered for sexually assaulting two junior colleagues has submitted an application to resume medical practice. Dr. Humayun Iqbal was found to have inappropriately touched the breasts of two female staff members while employed at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. Additionally, he attempted to kiss one colleague and forcefully put his hand down her blouse. During the hospital’s investigation, Dr. Iqbal provided false information, claiming a male colleague informed him that the matter would not proceed further. He also alleged that the female colleague had performance issues and made racist remarks.
In 2013, a disciplinary panel concluded that Dr. Iqbal had sexually assaulted the two staff members, acted dishonestly multiple times, and tarnished the reputation of one of the women. Consequently, his name was removed from the medical register due to serious misconduct and impaired fitness to practice.
Following his deregistration, Dr. Iqbal pursued a career as a Cardiothoracic surgeon in Pakistan and a Cardiac Surgery Consultant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 2024, he applied to have his name reinstated on the UK medical register managed by the General Medical Council (GMC). Dr. Iqbal denied the allegations against him, stating that there was insufficient evidence aside from the accusers’ claims.
During the restoration hearing, the GMC Representative highlighted that Dr. Iqbal did not acknowledge his past misconduct but instead focused on relationships with potentially biased colleagues. The Tribunal ultimately rejected his application, citing inadequate insight into his previous actions and insufficient efforts towards remediation. They deemed him unfit to return to unrestricted medical practice, emphasizing his unresolved resentment and lack of focus on addressing the past misconduct findings.