Doctor who sexually harassed nurses to stay in work

Dr Nour Rezk had recently worked at Birmingham City Hospital

A hospital doctor who admitted sexually harassing two nurses should not be suspended, a High Court judge has ruled.

A tribunal earlier this year heard Dr Nour Rezk had sent sexually explicit messages, including photos, and pestered the women after he had left a hospital trust they had worked at together.

The panel decided to take no further action, but this was challenged in court by lawyers representing the General Medical Council (GMC).

Judge Mrs Justice Lang ruled that while he should not be suspended, Dr Rezk should face conditions of practice on his registration.

He had moved from Egypt, where he had been a physician in the Directorate of Health Affairs in Alexandria, in 2017.

Dr Rezk went on to train at hospitals in various parts of the country, including Nottingham, Shrewsbury, Walsall, and Birmingham.

The court heard, however, the allegations related to colleagues he had worked with at a trust in the south West of England about five years ago.

In its conclusion in April, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel said there was no evidence of the doctor repeating his behaviour and it had been "out of character".

'Appropriate balance'

However, the GMC lawyers argued that not enough "weight" had been given to the need to "promote and maintain public confidence" in the medical profession.

Mrs Justice Lang allowed the GMC appeal, but concluded that "imposing conditions" was a "proportionate" sanction.

"In my judgment, the sanction of conditions would be seen by the public and the profession as an ongoing marker of disapproval of Dr Rezk's misconduct... whilst providing a constructive response to his shortcomings," the judge stated in a written ruling.

The decision and the conditions imposed would remain on his record and be publicly available on the GMC website, she added.

"Therefore, I consider that the conditions meet the overarching objective of protection of the public, in that they promote and maintain public confidence in the medical profession and proper professional standards and conduct for members of the profession."