A U.K. tribunal has issued a formal warning to a hospital doctor, ruling that his actions over six female patients in Guernsey amounted to serious misconduct, but a petition by patients to overturn the decision is now gathering momentum and politicians are getting involved, according to reports in the media.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) determined that multiple allegations against Dr. Ali Shokouh-Amiri, formerly a consultant in obstetrics and gynecology (O&G) with the Medical Specialist Group (MSG) in Guernsey who currently works in Essex, amounted to serious misconduct, but his fitness to practice was not impaired, noted an article posted by the Bailiwick Express after the tribunal ended on 14 February.
The allegations made against Shokouh-Amiri concerned issues of “over-familiarity with patients, surgical issues, clinical errors, and chaperones,” the MPTS stated. They included performing intimate examinations without a chaperone present on several occasions, failing to arrange investigation for a patient with symptoms that warranted it, hugging and other inappropriate touching of patients, and making inappropriate remarks to patients.
Significantly, it was admitted and proved that on 24 September 2018, Shokouh-Amiri removed Patient C's ovaries when she did not consent. Also, on 29 November 2018, he operated on Patient D and inappropriately removed both ovaries when "she did not consent to this and when there was no clinical indication for their removal," the tribunal found.
While some of the allegations were either admitted by Shokouh-Amiri or deemed proven during the course of the MPTS hearing, others were not.
In its judgment, the MPTS said that the admitted or proven allegations “did not meet with the standards required of a doctor,” but that he could continue to work as an O&G specialist provided he meets the standards of good medical practice. The tribunal also noted that it had been six years since the events, and there had been no further reports of misconduct in the years since he left Guernsey in 2019.
Additionally, the MPTS voiced concern about the lack of evidence that Shokouh-Amiri had “fully remediated” or “gained sufficient insight into what happened.” The tribunal "cannot be assured that without restriction, there will not be a risk of repetition," the MPTS said.
Shokouh-Amiri, who received his medical license from Copenhagen University in 2005 and relocated to the U.K. in 2013, worked at the MSG in Guernsey between 2016 and 2019, the Bailiwick Express reported. As the consultant at the MSG, he performed surgeries at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. He has been working as a consultant in O&G at Mid and South Essex University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since November 2022.
Outcry from patients
While the Bailiwick Express said that Shokouh-Amiri accepted the tribunal’s findings and intended to “move on from these findings and to persuade the tribunal that he is a safe and effective doctor who is no longer impaired,” the decision to permit him to continue practicing has raised an outcry from the six women who brought the allegations and their supporters.
A petition calling for Shokouh-Amiri’s medical license to be revoked has so far garnered more than 16,000 signatures. David Burton-Sampson and Bayo Alaba, Members of Parliament for the Southend area served by the hospital where the doctor now works, have expressed on social media that they share their constituents’ concerns and have contacted the Trust for further answers.
The hospital where Shokouh-Amiri now works has noted on its website that “there have been a number of concerns and enquiries raised with us about attending appointments with one of our consultants at Southend Hospital,” and offers a phone number and email address for patients who have concerns about their O&G appointment.
Actions of Guernsey group
According to a BBC news article posted on 17 February (bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9e918953qo), the MPTS tribunal found Shokouh-Amiri acted inappropriately on no less than 24 occasions.
The BBC article noted that Dr. Steve Evans, from the MSG, said he had to respect the tribunal's decision but was "truly sorry for any harm or distress that may have been suffered by women" under Shokouh-Amiri's care. Evans disputed claims made by Shokouh-Amiri during the tribunal that MSG had no chaperone policy, adding trained chaperones must be present during intimate examinations.
MSG had also updated its chaperone policy in light of the case to introduce new safeguards, Evans added. "Previously, in line with GMC [General Medical Council] guidance, the doctor would sign to say if the patient declined to have a chaperone present," he said. "Under the new policy, introduced in April 2019, the patient must sign as well as the doctor."
Evans said he urged any women who had been "upset by a previous experience" or what they had heard about the case "not to put off seeing a doctor", if they had health concerns. He said he had "full confidence" in the group's current medical staff, who provided an "excellent and safe service to our patients", adding MSG had a "range of safeguards in place".
Employer's support
Shokouh-Amiri's new employer is continuing to support him, Guernsey Press reported on 22 February. "We understand the strength of feeling about this case and want to reassure women that we always have safeguarding procedures and chaperoning in place in all our clinics," said Christine Blanshard, chief medical officer for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, in the article (see guernseypress.com/news/2025/02/21/mps-share-concerns-over-former-msg-gynaecologist).
The article noted that the MSG had placed Shokouh-Amiri on restricted duties under supervision when concerns were first raised and banned him from seeing patients during a police investigation of allegations until he left the MSG.
