High Court uphold tribunal’s finding and sanction in Ahmedsowida v GMC

In the case of Ahmedsowida v General Medical Council [2025] EWHC 823 (Admin), the High Court considered the appeal of Dr Bashir Ahmedsowida, a doctor originally trained in Afghanistan who faced severe disciplinary proceedings following allegations of multiple instances of serious professional misconduct between January 2015 and May 2018.

The allegations centred on a pattern of repeated dishonesty and failure to comply with critical professional standards. Initially, in January 2021, an MPTS panel found that Dr Ahmedsowida’s fitness to practise was significantly impaired by his misconduct, leading to an immediate suspension order and a sanction of erasure from the medical register, due to his deliberate provision of false information on curriculum vitae and applications, his failure to declare essential training details, and his non-adherence to clear instructions from supervising clinicians.

Subsequent to that decision, the case was re-considered and on 23 November 2023 a later Tribunal imposed a different sanction—a suspension of registration for 12 months rather than automatic erasure—thereby reflecting a modified view on the nature and extent of his misconduct.

Dr Ahmedsowida appealed the Tribunal’s decision under section 40 of the Medical Act 1983, arguing that the Tribunal misapplied legal principles and did not give appropriate weight to evidence of his remediation and transformation.

He contended that his extensive remedial actions—evidenced by completion of multiple professional development courses on probity, ethics, teamwork, and investigative responses, along with submissions of reflective statements and favourable character evidence—demonstrated genuine remorse and a significant change in his professional behaviour.

Although his appeal initially appeared to challenge both the finding of impairment and the imposed sanction, subsequent clarifications suggested that his primary contention was against the severity of the sanction. Nonetheless, during the hearing, his submissions on both issues were addressed by the Court.

In her judgment, Mrs Justice Lang DBE, acknowledged the remedial measures taken by Dr Ahmedsowida but emphasized that the extensive pattern of dishonesty, failure to follow critical instructions, and the inherent risk these posed to patient safety and public confidence in the medical profession warranted a substantive disciplinary response.

Ultimately, the Court concluded that the Tribunal had not erred in finding that Dr Ahmedsowida’s fitness to practise was impaired, and that the 12-month suspension was an appropriate sanction under the circumstances. 

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