RAHMAN: DOCTOR REINSTATED AFTER BAN FOR STALKING FORMER GLAMOUR MODEL

A doctor who was struck off eight years ago for ‘stalking’ former glamour model Abi Titmuss can practise medicine again, a tribunal ruled today (Tue).

Shibley Rahman was thrown out of the medical profession in 2006 after a disciplinary panel found his behaviour towards the TV personality amounted to ‘serious psychological violence’.

The former nurse was left ‘terrified’ when the drunken doctor sneaked into a communal bathroom at her University College London staff accommodation while she showered in July 2004.

The Cambridge graduate was twice warned then finally handed a restraining order in September 2007 after shouting at Ms Titmuss: ‘You and your media team have ruined my life.’

When pursuing his legal career three years later he wrote to the Solicitors Regulation Authority to say: ‘[Ms Titmuss] wished to capitalise on misery to further her own flagging career.’

His clinical competence was also called into question during the 2006 General Medical Council hearing and he was criticised over another incident involving his examination of a patient at London’s Charing Cross Hospital.

Colleagues said he was often ‘disheveled’ with his shoe laces undone and consultants described him as ‘the worst SHO [senior house officer]’ they had ever seen.

But Rahman today (Tue) gasped as he was told by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel he would be allowed to work as a doctor again.

He successfully argued that his previous misconduct and deficient professional performance were down to his drinking problem at the time.

Rahman told the Manchester hearing he has not drunk alcohol since suffering a life-threatening illness in August 2007, which left him physically disabled.

The former SHO at Hammersmith Hospital, Northwick Park Hospital and Royal Brompton Hospital said he has now dealt with the alcoholism that led to his behaviour towards Ms Titmuss.

‘I think it is horrible. It would never happen again. It was disgusting,’ he said.

‘My behaviour towards her was unacceptable,’ Rahman continued.

‘If I ever saw her again I would just walk in the opposite direction. I would not look at her. I would just run off. I would certainly not trouble her again in any way.’

The medic added: ‘I really don’t care about her or what she does, apart from the fact I really do feel horrible about the emotional impact on her, and I wish her well in the future.’

Opposing the application, Elizabeth Dudley-Jones, for the General Medical Council, suggested his behaviour towards Ms Titmuss amounted to ‘stalking a media celebrity’.

She said that the doctor’s ‘serious and wide-ranging misconduct’ justified striking him off and meant he should not be restored to the medical register.

But MPTS panel chairman Dr Harvey Marcovitch told Rahman: ‘The panel has noted that it is now ten years or more since the events which led to the findings of impairment and over eight years since your registration was erased.

‘While there were incidents of criminal behaviour immediately following your erasure, the panel has seen no evidence of any repetition since your hospitalisation in August 2007.

‘It accepts these were related to your alcohol dependency and it regards repetition in the future as highly unlikely.

‘The panel is of the opinion that you now have full insight into and are remorseful for your actions so has concluded it is unlikely you will repeat your misconduct or pose any risk to patients in the future.’

Rahman has said he wants to work in public health although he will be allowed to practise medicine unrestricted when his name is restored to the GMC’s register.

Opening the case, Ms Dudley-Jones told the panel how Rahman began to contact Ms Titmuss after seeing her in media reports in 2004.

By this time she was no longer working as a nurse having become a household name when she stood by then boyfriend John Leslie when he was falsely accused of rape.

The celebrity had worked at London’s University College Hospital from 1998 to December 2003, but was still living in nurses’ accommodation at the time.

Rahman, who was not known to Ms Titmuss, first sent her a letter asking to meet, before bombarding her agent with up to 20 text messages a day.

The junior doctor then began to turn up at her NHS staff residence before introducing himself to Ms Titmuss.

In a statement, she said: ‘He came straight up to me then shook my hand. It was very difficult to get away from him.

‘He acted as though I knew him and was waiting all day for me to return. I had to ask reception not to tell Dr Rahman I was in.’

On one occasion in July 2004 Ms Titmuss arrived home to find Rahman, who smelt strongly of alcohol, waiting for her with a bunch of flowers.

On 17 July Rahman managed to breach the accommodation’s security measures to gain access to the nurses’ rooms.

Ms Titmuss returned from the bathroom to find him waiting outside her door.

When she managed to slip past him to get into her room, Rahman started banging on the door and shouting abuse.

After it had quietened down Ms Titmuss went in to a shower cubicle in the communal bathroom.
But whilst she took a shower Rahman came into the bathroom and began to shout at her.

Ms Titmuss was terrified and returned to her room where Rahman, who had been drinking heavily, continued to bang on her door until police arrived and warned him not to contact her again.

He told police he thought the media had been unfair to her and he thought he could help her because he was a doctor.

The medic continued to pester Titmuss and her agent until he received a written harassment warning on 27 July 2004, the tribunal heard.

In a statement made for the original hearing Ms Titmuss said: ‘I had only ever said hello to him or told him to leave me alone.

‘I had never given the impression I wanted to talk to him.’

Announcing the decision to strike him off in July 2006, Dr Brian Alderman told Rahman: ‘The panel takes the view that your actions in relation to Ms B [Ms Titmuss], who was a stranger to you and who you put in terror, is conduct not becoming of a doctor and is likely to bring the medical profession into disrepute.’

Rahman admitted ‘harassing’ Ms Titmuss and said he thought he could help with her charity work, but hoped it could lead to a romantic relationship.

He was arrested after another incident with Ms Titmuss in April 2007 when he approached her and shouted: ‘You and your media team have ruined my life.’

The doctor pleaded guilty to a public order offence at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on 5 September 2007 and was handed a restraining order.

Rahman also has two convictions for assaulting his ex-wife during their brief arranged marriage in 2006.

ends