Newly qualified GP, 45, is suspended after being caught ‘speeding up’ her video appointments with patients because they ran over the 12-minute time limit

A newly qualified family GP has been suspended after she was caught ‘speeding up’ videos of her appointments with patients – because they went on too long.

Dr Mahjabeen Asim, 45, used an app to manipulate the films in a bid to make the consultations look far quicker than they actually were after at least one ran 45 minutes over the regulation time limit of just 12 minutes.

Asim, who had to record the appointments as part of her GP training at the Victoria Road surgery in Worthing, was caught after an examiner checking one of the films noticed an analogue clock on a wall showing 12.34pm when the video timings falsely appeared to show the appointment finishing at 11.50am.

When quizzed Asim who had previously twice failed her GP exam claimed she feared being marked down and said she was under so much stress she considered quitting. She was subsequently reported to the General Medical Council following which she qualified as a GP.

At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, in Manchester, Asim, of Streatham, South London was found guilty of serious professional misconduct and was banned from treating patients for two months. A panel had considered striking her off the medical register.

Under the NHS guidance the average GP appointment currently lasts less than ten minutes but the Royal College of GPs have called for them to be extended to 15 minutes to give patients more time to discuss their health issues.

The hearing was told Asim who studied medicine in Pakistan moved to the UK in 2010 and worked in A&E at the West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, before starting her GP training at Worthing Hospital in West Sussex in 2018 and then being assigned to the Victoria Road Surgery in Worthing.

As part of the programme she was required to submit 13 different recorded consultations with real patients covering various areas including acute and chronic conditions, reproductive health, child welfare and mental health.

Criteria stated the consultations should be recorded continuously and not edited and the camera should not be turned off. It also said appointments were limited to 12 minutes and if a consultation exceeded the time period, Asim would not achieve marks for anything occurring after that.

Asim submitted her consultations in March 2023 but trouble began when the examiner approached a Professor overseeing the programme to raise concerns about the recording and timing of one of the videos.

It emerged one of Dr Asim’s consultations showed the time on an analogue clock on the wall behind a patient did not match with the timing of the video consultation. It showed the appointment starting at 11:36:30am and then finishing at 11:50:30 yet the analogue clock on the wall read: 12.34pm.

As a result, all 13 of Dr Asim’s consultations were reviewed and it was suspected four had been sped up. At a subsequent meeting with senior colleagues she was described as being ‘shocked, surprised and unable to offer an explanation for discrepancies.’

Later that same afternoon she spoke to her GP Trainer, admitting to speeding up the recording. In a statement, Asim said she used her mobile phone to record the videos and then used apps to compress the file size at which point she discovered an option to speed them up.

In her evidence Asim, who qualified as a GP in April 2024, apologised for her actions and said there was ‘no excuse or justification for her behaviour.’ Admitting she had been dishonest she added: ‘Matters had been difficult at home but although I felt under extreme pressure she had not taken any time off work nor had she discussed the pressures I was facing with anyone.

‘I had failed the exam on two previous occasions and I was concerned my next attempt would be my final attempt and I would not get a further extension to complete my training.

Asim submitted her consultations in March 2023 but trouble began when the examiner approached a Professor overseeing the programme to raise concerns about the recording and timing of one of the videos (Stock image)

‘I recorded all my consultations over a two-month period which felt like a continuous exam. I was concerned her consultations were not complex enough to meet the criteria and there were technological challenges in submitting consultations so I chose to use my mobile phone to record them.’

When asked about the process of uploading and speeding up the consultation videos, Asim said she did not think there was enough information within the 12-minute limit of the appointments to cover the mandatory criteria to pass the exam.

She added: ‘During the compression of the videos I realised they could be sped up and I then panicked and chose random videos to speed up. I transferred the videos from my mobile phone to a computer and and sped up one video to check it worked. When I realised the speeding up had worked I then sped up other videos. I accept I was wrong.’

Asim said she since attended a number of courses including Maintaining Professional Ethics and created a ‘development plan identifying the root causes of her actions and putting in place measures to prevent a recurrence.’

For the GMC Miss Jade Bucklow said of the videos: ‘They are one component of the requirement to become a GP and had Dr Asim not been caught it would have resulted in her gaining a role for which she was not qualified.

‘Her actions in speeding up the recordings gave her an unfair advantage over other candidates as she would have had more content assessed

and more opportunity to meet the criteria for passing the exam. Dr Asim’s conduct was sophisticated, premeditated and occurred over a period of time. It could not be described as a moment of panic as she logged on to a computer to speed up the footage.

‘The stress being experienced by Dr Asim was not exceptional. Many of her peers would also be experiencing periods of stress but did not resort to cheating.’

Asim’s counsel David Morris said: ‘Whilst she resorted to improper methods to help her pass the exam, Dr Asim’s actions were done in a sense of panic with little thought or planning. There was no real risk to patient safety and that if Dr Asim had been successful this would have led to a competent but slow GP being admitted to the register.

‘She had found recording the consultations difficult and a combination of pressures had resulted in Dr Asim acting out of the ordinary. She virtually immediately accepted her dishonesty, has shown remorse and had offered apologies.

MPTS chairman Miss Megan Larrinaga said: ‘Dr Asim’s actions sought to undermine the system of examination and admission to the GP register. Her conduct was planned and protracted over a period of days with the aim of helping her to pass professional exams.

‘But the tribunal noted Dr Asim was going through a difficult period in her home life. It also accepted that she was worried about passing the exam having failed it on two previous occasions and that she had not confided in anyone in detail about her difficult circumstances.

‘It is said Dr Asim is now more open with those around her, has friends in whom she can confide and is actively monitoring her stress levels. It was clear to the Tribunal that Dr Asim was a well-regarded doctor and that those providing testimonials considered her conduct to be out of character.’