A former doctor, Dr. Humayun Iqbal, who had his medical license revoked for sexually assaulting two junior colleagues, has recently applied to have his license reinstated. The incidents occurred at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where Dr. Iqbal inappropriately touched the breasts of two female staff members, attempted to kiss one of them, and made false statements during the hospital’s investigation.
In 2013, a misconduct panel found Dr. Iqbal guilty of sexual assault, dishonest behavior, and damaging the reputation of one of the victims. Consequently, his name was removed from the medical register due to serious misconduct and impaired fitness to practice medicine.
Despite being banned in the UK, Dr. Iqbal continued his medical career in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. However, in 2024, he sought to be reinstated in the UK medical register overseen by the General Medical Council. He denied the allegations against him, arguing that there was insufficient evidence apart from the accusers’ statements.
During the restoration hearing, the GMC Representative criticized Dr. Iqbal for not acknowledging his misconduct or showing remorse. The Tribunal ultimately rejected his application for reinstatement, citing his lack of insight into his past actions and his apparent focus on perceived injustices rather than genuine remediation efforts. They determined that he was not fit to return to unrestricted medical practice.