Professor groped colleagues during births and operations, tribunal hears

Khaled Ismail, 49, from Market Drayton, was working as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist based at the University of Birmingham at the time.

Four women told the hearing they felt ‘embarrassed’ by his fondling over a two-year period but were too scared to speak out due to his respected position within the hospital. He was ordered to face a disciplinary hearing after a student he worked with told how Ismail ran his finger up and down her thigh and proceeded to follow her into her office during an encounter.

At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing in Manchester, the woman known as Dr A said she wanted to speak to someone who was senior but had experiences ‘that you don’t forget’.

Dr A said: “This whole experience has destroyed my life for the last couple of years, you have no idea what I’ve gone through. For me to make an allegation for no reason whatsoever doesn’t make any sense.

“I had an awful experience very recently, I said enough was enough and I didn’t want to see this person any longer, be in the same room as him and get asked questions by him.”

The alleged incidents occurred while Ismail was working at Birmingham Women’s Hospital.

Another midwife claimed she felt Ismail’s hand touching her upper thigh and moving slowly up and down as she stood with a patient. She explained how she stood ‘frozen’ and felt ‘powerless’ to stop him.

Counsel for the General Medical Council Tom Forster said Ismail’s motivation in these cases was ‘sexual’ and said he would ‘pick’ on women who were junior to him.

Mr Forster said: “Dr Ismail, a very senior and highly respected professor, pursued a course of behaviour in which he intentionally touched four colleagues – his motivation being a sexual one.

“He touched each in a similar manner and picked on women much junior to him, either PhD students or midwives.”

Ismail denies misconduct. The hearing continues.