GP and long-serving councillor struck off for sexual misconduct during an examination of a patient

A GP and long-serving councillor has been struck off for sexual misconduct during an examination of a patient.

Dr Ibrahim Hayat, who was a Newport Labour councillor between 2007 and 2022, said he informed the party of the allegation but was still allowed to stand under its banner in last year's council elections.

Labour denies it was aware of any sexual misconduct allegation.A medical tribunal has found that Dr Hayat conducted a "sexually-motivated" intimate examination in 2015, touching a patient inappropriately.The surgery where the misconduct happened has not been named.

After the incident, Dr Hayat was allowed to continue in his role as a locum GP for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board "subject to agreed restrictions".

The tribunal heard Dr Hayat had been working at Brynmawr surgery since October 2021 and "no issues have been raised with his clinical practice there".The doctor described the panel's findings as "wrong and unfair".

Following the 2015 incident, he had continued to represent Pill as a Labour councillor.

He said he could not remember exactly when he made the party aware of the allegation, but that it was years before 2022 when he stood as a Labour candidate for the Allt-yr-Yn ward in an election loss.

Dr Hayat said he chose to stand in that ward because "it was a strong Conservative ward where I was unlikely to win" and he wanted to focus on battling his breast cancer.

He added: "The council knew everything and the party knew everything."Welsh Labour denies it was ever aware of a sexual misconduct allegation. The party says it knew Dr Hayat had been suspended by the General Medical Council in 2020 and had been reinstated following an investigation but never knew the nature of the investigation.

Labour says it deselected Dr Hayat in his ward in the run-up to the 2022 elections and instead selected him in a "non-target ward".

The doctor never made a declaration to the party of anything that could "cause himself or party embarrassment", according to Labour.

The General Medical Council branded Dr Hayat's conduct "deplorable". Its representative said the patient was vulnerable while having an intimate examination and the doctor "took advantage of her to engage in sexually-motivated behaviour" then attempted to "blacken her name".

In her statement the patient said: "I feel like I don’t want to see male doctors. I haven’t since. When I’ve had to go to the doctors I have waited until I could see a lady doctor whereas in the past I wouldn’t have bothered."Dr Hayat told the tribunal that after learning of the allegation he spoke to the medical director for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and "reflected on the complaint to see what could have been done better".

He said he went on to have weekly meetings with his clinical lead and take professional development courses in consent, confidentiality, best practice in the use of chaperones, and safeguarding adults in primary care.

The doctor claimed he "never intended to tarnish the name" of the patient.But the General Medical Council argued Dr Hayat had "shown no insight in the lengthy time which this case has taken to conclude".

The panel found there was a risk of the behaviour repeating and concluded the doctor's name must be erased from the register to protect patients.

"I would have liked to have gone back to work but have not worked for some time due to ill health including breast cancer." Said Dr Hayat.

"I would dearly love to take this to appeal in the High Court but I don't have the energy or the resources to take this matter further.

"I need to focus on my health and my loving family. I thank everyone for their support during what has been a long road to try to get justice."A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “As Dr Hayat was a locum GP contracted by the health board we investigated his conduct in line with our governance arrangements as soon as we were made aware of allegations against him and took appropriate action.

"We subsequently liaised with the General Medical Council who looked into this case and allowed Dr Hayat to continue practising subject to agreed restrictions that ensured the safeguarding of his patients.

"The safeguarding of our patients is our highest priority and we take allegations of misconduct extremely seriously.”Newport Council has been approached for a comment.

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