Timeline: Paedophile doctor's arrest and Met police review into failure to stop him

130723-Dr Salman Siddiqi
Dr Salman Siddiqi, a consultant paediatrician, exposed himself to women at a nature reserve in June 2019. Credit: Susan Clapp

Dr Salman Siddiqi, a consultant paediatrician from Hornchurch, was first taken into custody after exposing himself to women at a nature reserve in June 2019.

Officers opted to give him a police caution, but it has since emerged they failed to inform the NHS or General Medical Council, which regulates doctors' fitness to practice.

Scotland Yard has now launched a review into allegations its officers failed to deal appropriately with Siddiqi at the time, three years before he was jailed for attempting to meet a child for sex.

Timeline of events

1st June 2019 - Siddiqi arrested by Met police in a London park for flashing at members of the public. He is cautioned by Met Police for this offence. Met Police do not inform NHS or health regulatory bodies of caution. Siddiqi does not inform the General Medical Council about the caution. Doctors are required to inform the GMC, without delay, if they have accepted a caution from the police or been criticised by an official inquiry.

January 2021 - Siddiqi starts working at the QEQM hospital in Margate. He gets a job through a recruitment agency called ProMedical.

March 2021 - On 23 March 2021, Dr Salman Siddiqi makes a self-referral notifying the GMC he had accepted a caution from the Metropolitan Police Service for intentionally exposing his genitals at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park on 1 June 2019.

October 2021 - Seven months later the GMC decides to refer Dr Siddiqi to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service for a medical tribunal to independently assess the evidence.

July 2022 - Siddiqi finally faces a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service disciplinary hearing over his police caution for exposing himself. It takes the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service nine months to arrange the hearing. It says the target for arranging hearings is nine months. The hearing takes place in July 2022, where the tribunal concluded Dr Siddiqi’s fitness to practise was impaired by reason of misconduct and caution. The tribunal imposes a one-month suspension.

12th August-11th September 2022 - Siddiqi suspended for this period. East Kent Hospitals say they did not employ Siddiqi during this period.

January 2023 - East Kent Hospitals Trust hires Siddiqi again. East Kent will not tell ITV News Meridian the exact date that they hired Siddiqi again following his suspension.

8th January 2023 - Siddiqi arrested by Kent Police at the QEQM Hospital for engaging in sexual communication with a child and attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence. Investigation opened by the General Medical Council and Siddiqi suspended by Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

30th June 2023 - Siddiqi jailed for 28 months after pleading guilty to charges of engaging in sexual communication with a child and attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence.

11th July 2023 - Following ITV News Meridian's investigation, Met Police launch review into investigating officers decision not to inform Siddiqi's employer after he exposed himself to people in a London park in 2019.