Plastic surgeon who fled from inspectors suspended

A plastic surgeon who performed liposuction without proper registration and lied to inspectors from the health watchdog has been suspended for 12 months.

Dr Sayed Mia, who was based at a private Harley Street clinic, also carried out gynaecomastia procedures - male breast reduction - without the necessary registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), a tribunal heard.

During a CQC inspection, Mia tried to flee before claiming he was a patient and giving a fake name, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service was told.

It stopped short of striking him off the medical register, saying that his suspension - at the "upper end" of the banding - was the "most proportionate sanction".

The tribunal heard that on 14 November 2023, Mia, who qualified in South Africa in 1999, had been in consultation with a patient at the central London clinic when four CQC inspectors arrived and introduced themselves.

A short while later, Mia was observed heading to the lifts with a suitcase.

The tribunal heard an inspector "intercepted" Mia, telling him the reason for the visit was "to establish if regulated activities were taking place at the clinic", after receiving complaints from members of the public.

When asked for his name, Mia told the inspector it was "Ahmed Munda".

Mia was said to be pressing the lift buttons "numerous times" and "appeared nervous and eager to leave".

He told the inspector he was having a meeting about a procedure, and claimed he was a patient.

The tribunal was told a man waiting outside the consultation room interrupted and said: "He's not a patient, he's a doctor I've come to see."

The inspector then asked Mia again if he was a doctor. He replied that he was "a doctor, but a scientist not a medical doctor" and claimed he had only worked at the clinic on that one day.

The tribunal was told Mia later apologised for giving a fake name, saying he thought the investigators were from his ex-employer and had come to intimidate him.

He also admitted to the General Medical Council that he had performed the surgeries and the information he provided to the inspectors had been untrue.

The tribunal said his failure to tell the truth "was not driven by any fear or intimidation by a previous employer but to ensure he was not implicated in a CQC investigation".

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service tribunal found Mia "had failed to act honestly and with integrity and showed a deliberate disregard for professional standards".