Doctor faces misconduct allegations

A DOCTOR accused of performing an inappropriate breast examination blamed his “old-fashioned” methods.

Dr Sohail Ashraf claims he took a “quick look” at the woman’s breasts to check if she was pregnant - but accepted his technique was wrong.

The eight-weeks-pregnant woman, Patient B, complained that Dr Ashraf had felt around her nipples with both hands at the Go To Doc out-of-hours clinic in Oldham in May 2009.

He also claimed his fingers slipped when he touched another woman while conducting a rectal examination at a clinic in Preston in August 2011.

The woman, referred to as Patient A, has told how the doctor sexually assaulted her when she went to see him with abdominal pains.

The out-of-hours GP denies his actions towards either patient were sexually motivated and that it was an accident. He faces allegations of professional misconduct.

Suzanne Goddard, for the General Medical Council, suggested Dr Ashraf had “succumbed to temptation”.

“You did behave inappropriately on both occasions,” she said. “You did touch these two women in the way alleged and you did it because you unfortunately succumbed to temptation.”

The GMC says the breast examination was not necessary clincially, that he offered no explanation to the woman, failed to offer a chaperone and didn’t make a record of the examination.

But Dr Ashraf said the check was due to “out of date” methods and pressure at work.

“I want to apologise to the patient and I am grateful for her coming forward and pointing out an out of date part of my practise,” Dr Ashraf said.

The hearing is expected to conclude on Friday.