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| Birmingham surgeon Nafees Hamid jailed for indecent assaults on patients | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A neurosurgeon has been jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of nine indecent assaults against patients at two Birmingham hospitals. | |
| Nafees Hamid, 51, had denied a total of 15 charges relating to 10 women between 2009 and 2013 at the city's Queen Elizabeth and Priory hospitals. | Nafees Hamid, 51, had denied a total of 15 charges relating to 10 women between 2009 and 2013 at the city's Queen Elizabeth and Priory hospitals. |
| A jury at Birmingham Crown Court convicted him of assaults on six patients. | |
| Police said he had abused his position of trust. | |
| The spinal surgery specialist, of Russell Road, Moseley, Birmingham, told the court that some of the alleged attacks did not happen, while others were legitimate examinations which had been misconstrued. | The spinal surgery specialist, of Russell Road, Moseley, Birmingham, told the court that some of the alleged attacks did not happen, while others were legitimate examinations which had been misconstrued. |
| However, one expert witness told jurors during the eight-week trial Hamid had performed "inappropriate and medically unjustifiable" examinations, ignoring General Medical Council guidelines. | |
| 'Sickened' colleagues | 'Sickened' colleagues |
| Among the victims he was convicted of assaulting was a woman in her mid-20s whose complaint led to Hamid's arrest in November 2013. | Among the victims he was convicted of assaulting was a woman in her mid-20s whose complaint led to Hamid's arrest in November 2013. |
| The patient, who cannot be named, told jurors she felt "frozen to the spot" as she was subjected to an assault at the private Priory Hospital in 2013. | |
| The eight other counts on which Hamid was convicted relate to five women who attended hospital for a variety of complaints between January and September 2012. | The eight other counts on which Hamid was convicted relate to five women who attended hospital for a variety of complaints between January and September 2012. |
| Det Insp Ian Ingram, from West Midlands Police, praised the first woman for her courage in coming forward. | |
| "She went home, spoke to her family, and straight away contacted the police," he said. | |
| Mr Ingram said the delays in the other five victims coming forward showed the "power" Hamid had over them. | |
| "He was in that position of trust. They doubted whether they would be believed, doubted whether it was medically justified what he had done." | |
| He said police could not rule out the chance that more patients were abused by Hamid. | |
| "It may be that we get further victims come forward. It's important that if they do, we will help them. | |
| "And it might show that it's been occurring over a longer period." | |
| The Crown Prosecution Service said Hamid had used his position to carry out "intrusive and inappropriate examinations on vulnerable women" to satisfy his "personal sexual gratification". | |
| Crown advocate Aliya Rashid said the examinations had left the women "shocked, confused, embarrassed and deeply upset". | |
| The court heard that Hamid encouraged some of his patients to remove their clothing and on occasions, removed their clothes himself without a chaperone present. | |
| 'Brought disrepute' | |
| Speaking after the conclusion of the trial, Dame Julie Moore, chief executive of Queen Elizabeth University Hospitals NHS Trust, said she and her colleagues had been "sickened" by the surgeon's actions. | Speaking after the conclusion of the trial, Dame Julie Moore, chief executive of Queen Elizabeth University Hospitals NHS Trust, said she and her colleagues had been "sickened" by the surgeon's actions. |
| "We're deeply sorry that these offences have occurred and brought disrepute to his profession," she said. | "We're deeply sorry that these offences have occurred and brought disrepute to his profession," she said. |
| "The trust between a doctor and his patient is sacred and the fact that it has been breached in this way is despicable." | "The trust between a doctor and his patient is sacred and the fact that it has been breached in this way is despicable." |
| The Priory Hospital said safety was its first priority and Hamid's contract was suspended as soon as concerns came to light. | The Priory Hospital said safety was its first priority and Hamid's contract was suspended as soon as concerns came to light. |