Doctor banned after pregnancy diagnosis error at Liverpool Women's Hospital risked patient's life

Gynaecologist Ahmed Loutfi, a locum at the Crown Street site was struck off after making the potentially life-threatening error back in 2010. He lost his registry to work in 2016 following a medical practitioners tribunal.

A mum, known only as Patient A, had to have a fallopian tube removed during surgery for an ectopic pregnancy – where an embryo begins to grow outside the womb. He saw the patient twice in April and May 2010 – wrongly diagnosing her as having had a miscarriage both times.

This was despite another doctor telling her it could be an ectopic pregnancy. Mr Loutfi then sent her home – putting her life at risk – in spite of her challenging him, and also inappropriately told the woman to “go home and try for another baby.”

He had also previously denied the woman stronger analgesia despite the pain she was experiencing. His conduct at hospitals in Manchester, Hull and Birmingham – at the latter where he inappropriately rotated a baby’s head, causing a severe injury – between 2012 and 2013 were also deemed grounds for his expulsion eight years ago.

Having already sought to get back to work in 2022, the tribunal has now prevented Mr Loutfi from attempting to work in the UK again following his grave error. A report from his latest restoration hearing received a statement from Mr Loutfi in which he claimed to have treated the Liverpool mum correctly.

The tribunal heard how he placed responsibility for endangering the lives of patients on “native British doctors” and viewed the 2016 determination as unfair as he was an overseas doctor, and this was an act of discrimination. Mr Loutfi said he should be restored to the Medical Register because he did not commit any clinical misconduct and he had kept his skills up to date.

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He claimed his behaviour, both professionally and personally, was of a high standard and had evidence to prove that he was honest “all of the time” for the 30 years of his work and also since 2016. Mr Loutfi said that by not restoring him to the Medical Register, the General Medical Council was endangering the lives of UK residents.

This was not enough to win over the tribunal members, who rejected his application and indefinitely suspended Dr Loutfi’s right to reapply for restoration.

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