A full tribunal report has revealed why a doctor’s explanation for failing to disclose 14 Australian convictions was rejected before he was erased from the medical register.
Dr Salah-ud-Din Taj, who worked in Cumbria, was struck off following a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing which concluded on June 12.
The tribunal found Dr Taj dishonestly failed to disclose convictions from Australia when applying for full GMC registration in 2018 and when later completing a North Cumbria trust declaration form in 2019.
A full public record of the tribunal’s determinations has now set out further detail about Dr Taj's evidence and why the panel rejected parts of his account.
The report said Dr Taj's convictions related to breaches of an order, breaches of bail conditions, stalking, making a threat to kill, and using a 'carriage service', described as 'a mobile phone network', to menace and harass.
The tribunal said: "Most of the charges related to text messages sent by Dr Taj."
The offences took place over four months and resulted in a 12-month Community Correction Order.
Dr Taj pleaded guilty at an early stage.
Dr Taj's case was that he believed the conviction was not serious as it did not result in a custodial sentence and was 'filterable', meaning he thought it did not need to be declared.
Account was 'unconvincing and improbable'
He also gave evidence that he had sent the Australian police report and an explanatory letter to the GMC by post.
But the tribunal said: "The Tribunal considered Dr Taj's account in this regard lacked credibility and was inconsistent.
"The Tribunal found Dr Taj's account unconvincing and improbable with respect to the police report and explanatory letter being sent to the GMC via post."
The report said Dr Taj had not read the GMC guidance, sought advice from colleagues or his recruitment agent, or contacted the GMC for clarification.
It also said he had looked at an online list of serious offences, but only the first few pages, and had not seen that threats to kill was included.
The tribunal said: "Even a lay person, with little understanding of the law, would understand that a conviction for 14 offences, spanning a period of four months was serious and should be declared to a regulator."
The report also said the GMC missed a reference to Dr Taj's conviction in an Australian regulator letter, which would have triggered a referral to investigations if picked up.
The tribunal
'Dishonesty is a serious issue'
However, the tribunal said regulators 'rely upon the honesty of registrants to declare potential concerns'.
At sanction stage, the tribunal said Dr Taj's clinical practice was not under criticism, but added: "Dishonesty is a serious issue. It is a separate issue from clinical acumen."
It said: "The public are entitled to expect better from doctors. Other medical professionals are entitled to expect more of their colleagues."
The report also shows Dr Taj made a late application to admit further evidence, including a reflective statement, CPD certificates and additional testimonials.
The tribunal refused the application, saying he had 'ample time and opportunity' to decide what evidence he wanted to place before the panel on insight and remediation.
It said no good reason had been put forward for the late submission, and that allowing the material at that stage could risk unfairness and potential prejudice to the GMC.
The tribunal concluded no sanction short of erasure would be sufficient to maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold professional standards.
