UK Tribunal Extends Punishment For Nigerian Doctor Accused Of Misconduct

NIGERIAN physician accused of having an inappropriate sexual interaction with a patient faces harsher penalty from a UK tribunal.

Ewere Onyekpe, a Nigerian physician working in the UK, has been suspended again after it was alleged that he had a sexual contact with a patient.

He was a locum registrar at the Whittington Hospital in London at the time of the incident.

Onyekpe was first suspended for six months by the General Medical Council's (GMC) Medical Practitioners Tribunal, according to reports, following an investigation that revealed misbehavior on his part.

The case was reviewed at a recent tribunal hearing that took place from February 12 to February 29. Because of the nature of the wrongdoing, it was decided that Onyekpe's registration should be suspended for a total of 12 months.

However, in order to account for the time already spent, this was lowered to six months.

According to the tribunal's findings, he had acted inappropriately with a patient in the hospital's Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department who he had treated for sciatica.

The patient gave Onyekpe her phone number after the procedure to establish more communication.

This contact soon developed into more intimate and sexualized interactions, leading to consensual sexual experiences, one of which took place in a hospital bathroom cubicle.

The tribunal emphasized his misuse of his position as a professional and his inability to put the patient's wellbeing first.

Onyekpe expressed regret for his behavior and admitted to most of the claims, according to the hearing.

He has worked at numerous institutions around the nation in a variety of medical capacities.