Surgeon jailed for sexually abusing female patients

The judge who sentenced Birmingham neurosurgeon Nafees Hamid to 16 years in prison has said he will never practice medicine again.

ITV News Midlands Reporter Ben Chapman reports from Birmingham Crown Court, where Hamid convicted of sexually abusing six female patients

A Birmingham neurosurgeon jailed for sexually abusing patients encouraged women to remove their clothes and on some occasions removed them himself with no chaperone present, his trial heard.

The jury was told that Nafees Hamid would then perform intimate examinations without wearing gloves and made inappropriate sexual remarks.

An expert witness told his trial that the practices Hamid used were "inappropriate and medically unjustifiable" despite the surgeon's claims to the contrary.

Crown Advocate Aliya Rashid, who acted as a junior counsel, said: "Nafees Hamid, whilst in a position of high trust, carried out intrusive and inappropriate examinations on vulnerable women while masking his true purpose, which was personal sexual gratification.

"These examinations left women shocked, confused, embarrassed and deeply upset."

Neurosurgeon Nafees Hamid has been jailed for 16 years at Birmingham Crown Court after being convicted of nine sex offences against female patients.

Upon his initial arrest, surgeon Nafees Hamid claimed there was a medical justification for the intimate examinations he conducted on his female victims.

Only after independent medical opinion was sought on his practices was the Birmingham neurosurgeon charged with sexual assault, police said.

Hamid called upon his comprehensive knowledge of medical research as part of his consistent denial of any offence.

"He has said that what he did was medically justified or that, on occasions, the victims were incorrect," West Midlands Police Detective Inspector Ian Ingram said following Hamid's conviction today.

Police have warned that a predatory surgeon convicted today of a string of sexual offences against female patients could have abused others.

Detective Inspector Ian Ingram of West Midlands Police said the conviction of Nafees Hamid may encourage more people to come forward.

"He's been a neurosurgeon for a period of time, and these are the victims that have come forward to us at the moment," he said.

"It may be that we get further victims come forward. It's important that if they do, we will help them."

"And it might show that it's been occurring over a longer period."

The NHS Trust which oversaw hospitals where a predatory surgeon sexually abused women has apologised to victims after a complaint against him five years ago was not properly investigated.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said it had received an email in May 2009 from a patient complaining of "inappropriate behaviour" by Nafees Hamid.

The Trust offered an "unreserved apology" and admitted an "opportunity was missed" to prevent subsequent offences.

It said that upon receiving the complaint a staff member had sought an explanation from Hamid and conveyed this to the patient - though policy stated such a complaint should be escalated and properly investigated.

Hamid was today convicted of nine charges of serious sexual abuse against six female patients between 2012 and 2013.

A Birmingham surgeon has been found guilty of nine charges of serious sexual abuse against six female patients while pretending to examine them.

Neurosurgeon Nafees Hamid, 51, was cleared of six other counts of sexual assault relating to four other women.

Hamid - who worked at Queen Elizabeth and Priory hospitals in the city - was convicted of offences committed in 2012 and 2013.

The spinal injury specialist used his trusted status to launch the attacks during supposedly legitimate medical examinations, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

He is expected to be sentenced later today.