An A&E doctor accused of becoming ‘pleased’ to see two female colleagues on a hospital ward has denied sexual misconduct – claiming he had a mobile phone in his pocket.
Dr Mohammed Yasin, 30, was said to have been sexually aroused when he approached the student nurse and healthcare assistant then hugged them tightly at the New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
He was also accused of moving his hands down their bodies and allegedly thrusting against them and pressing his upper legs into them.
But at a medical tribunal Yasin denied wrongdoing claiming the women may have been confused about his intentions as he had a Nokia Candybar handset and car key fob which were always in his trouser pocket.
He also said he hugged the women because he wanted to ‘fit in’ and had seen other colleagues of a similar background to himself doing the same.
But the health care assistant involved insisted: ‘I know the difference between an erection and a mobile phone’.
The encounter is said to have occurred on April 2 last year when the two nurses and Dr Yasin, who was working as a locum, were on a night shift together at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, pictured (stock photo)
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester heard the encounter occurred on April 2 last year when the two nurses and Dr Yasin, who was working as a locum, were on a night shift together.
The healthcare assistant known as Miss B, who had worked at the trust since October 2015, was assisting an elderly patient to the toilet when Dr Yasin approached her looking ‘stressed’.
He asked if he could have a hug and without waiting for a response put his arms around her.
She remembers that being quite tight and his hands moved towards her hips and began moving ‘back and forth’ and ‘grinding’ against her.
She told the hearing: ‘He rubbed himself against me – it’s not something that happens every time you go to work.
‘His erection was coming on as he was hugging me. As we hugged I could feel him pushing on my leg as he was grinding up and down.
‘I knew it was an erection because I didn’t feel it straight away. I know it wasn’t a marker pen or anything like that because I would have felt it straight away.
‘I said I could feel it when he started hugging me, it was not there in the first few seconds but it was there afterwards.
‘If it was a marker pen or a banana I would have felt it straight away. I know the difference between a mobile phone and an erection.
‘It couldn’t have been a mobile phone or a set of keys. As we carried on hugging it started to grow. It’s embarrassing because I gave the hug back and this happened.
‘In A&E the staff do hug other staff or patients if they become upset but not the way Dr Yasin hugged me.
‘I can’t say I’ve ever had experience of a doctor hugging a nurse, that’s speaking personally and generally.
‘I remember it felt horrible. I would have absolutely no reason to say he had an erection if he hadn’t.’
The hearing was told Dr Yasin later attended the Clinical Decision Unit where student nurse Miss A was working.
The woman, who was 21 at the time, said: ‘He came right behind me and started to rub my shoulders.
‘I remember meeting him once before that on a different area of the department on a different day.
‘I went away to do some work for about 10 minutes and when I came back Dr Yasin was still in that area.
‘Dr Yasin asked for a hug before hugging me. I was a bit reluctant but did agree to it. I accepted the hug but didn’t hug him back.
‘I hadn’t been hugged by a male doctor before. I do remember he had an erection, it was visible. I just noticed it. I don’t think it was a phone or a key fob.
‘I felt reluctant to make a complaint, it’s a big thing to come forward and it may have consequences.
‘I wanted a job there and didn’t want any issues that would affect that. But the whole thing made me feel uncomfortable from start to finish. He did have a visible erection and did move his hands down to my waist and back.
‘I don’t see doctors hugging nurses as often as nurses hugging nurses. In terms of me and Dr Yasin there had never been any physical contact.’
Yasin, from Birmingham, was reported after the two women spoke to each other about their experiences.
He told the hearing: ‘I was not aroused – I can only imagine I had something in my pocket st the time. I would have carried my Nokia phone, key fob and tissues.
‘They were mistaken about me having an erection. When the complaint was made I was upset and shocked.
‘I was offended and hurt by the fact they said I had an erection. The only explanation I’ve got is my phone and key fob – I don’t know how they perceived the erection. I don’t even find these girls attractive.
‘Hugging was something that was not normal for me in terms of my upbringing.. I saw that people were hugging people of a similar background to me so it would be ok.
‘I felt hugging was just part of the culture at work, it was not something I was used to when I was brought up.
‘Within my culture and background there’s respect for women and respect for women physically.
‘For males and females to touch each other if they are not married is considered both inappropriate and wrong.
‘One of the things I was concerned about was with the concept of fitting in. I’ve never seen hugging from behind.
‘Hugging someone behind is an odd thing to do because it’s not a greeting. I’ve never hugged anyone from behind because I know it’s not appropriate to hug from behind.
‘Looking back on the hugs I think I hugged using the whole of my body, I may have gone too close to them and might have hugged them longer than they would have anticipated.
‘I didn’t develop an erection during the course of the hug. During the hug my hands were around Miss B’s shoulder region and they didn’t move from there.
‘Whilst doing locum in A&E I always wore a shirt and trousers, I never wore scrubs. In my pockets I would have some tissues, a mobile phone and my car key fob.
‘At the time I had a very old mobile phone. I don’t think it was a 3310 I think it’s a Candybar phone.
‘I’ve got two sisters and a mother, I’m not married. My sisters are younger than me.
‘If my sisters are the type of people that allow hugs happening I would be fine. If they pulled her into a hug without asking I would be furious.’
Yasin denies sexual misconduct. The hearing continues.