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Young doctor struck off for sleeping on shift

Young doctor struck off for sleeping on shift

A young doctor has been taken off duty on account of misconduct and dishonesty, with complaints of missing from work repeatedly including napping when patients waited for follow-up care.

Dr Raisah Sawati, 33, was reported to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in 2017 after being found asleep on a bench when colleagues reported her missing from duty at Fairfield Hospital near Bury, Greater Manchester.


Sawati said she is "shocked" to lose her medical career and claims to have been unfairly treated and will appeal against the decision to strike her off, MailOnline has reported.

She had also failed a patient who died of respiratory failure at a nursing home, exaggerated her role in the treatment of a 10-month-old baby suffering a cardiac arrest, lied to colleagues about getting time off for study leave and lied about her qualifications in a job interview, the tribunal heard.

At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, Sawati was found guilty of misconduct, dishonesty and deficient professional performance.

The tribunal heard Sawati, from Dumbreck, Glasgow, had graduated in medicine in Manchester in 2012 but was criticised for her lapse at work in subsequent training placements.

After the announcement, Dr Sawati told MailOnline: "I have been unfairly treated because this is my career and I am a trainee so I am not fully qualified as a medic.

"Sleeping on the job? I have actually got health issues and that was declared to the tribunal as part of my mitigating circumstances.

"My health issues are very serious and as you can imagine being a medic is quite hard work in terms of shifts.

"It can take a toll, especially if your health isn’t at the best, either. And at the same time if there is low staffing then you feel obliged to go in and help out and be there when the chips are down.

"So all I can say there have been misunderstandings, miscommunications, there’s been crossed-wires.'

She added: "I am still in shock about being struck off. It is not where I want to be in my life.

"All my years of knowledge, training, exams and dedication is basically going down the drain because I am a worthy member of society and, depending on who you speak to, I am a good doctor and I did the job well.

"There has been no harm to anyone in all of this. I am a good, decent doctor and I treat my patients well."

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