Doctor struck from Medical Register after subjecting woman to coercive control
- Dignity 4Patients
- Oct 1, 2025
- 4 min read
By Emma Dukes - Liverpool News - 02.10.2025 - [Dr Ijaz Khan] - [UK]
A Liverpool doctor has been erased from the Medical Register after he was convicted of engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour.
Dr Ijaz Khan was sentenced to a three-year custodial sentence and an indefinite restraining order not to contact the victim - referred to as Ms A - on May 26, 2023.
A Medical Practitioner’s Tribunal took place between September 3 and 5 of this year, to determine whether Dr Khan’s fitness to practise was impaired because of his conviction.
The Medical Practitioner’s Tribunal Service considered the submissions of on behalf of the GMC, Mr James Halliday, who said: “The abuse Ms A was subject to over the [XXX] year indictment period included verbal abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse and financial control.
“Specific examples of this type of abuse were led in evidence at trial, and are detailed in the victim personal statement which was read out at the sentencing hearing by Ms A.
“Ms A described that Dr Khan would “grind [her] down slowly, day by day, using taunts, ridicule and violence.”
Mr Halliday added that, at the sentencing hearing, His Honour Judge Potter was “sure that Dr Khan used [his] appetite for sex, and [his] demand for sex from Ms A as a tool of further element of coercion and control”.
Other sentencing remarks from Judge Potter included: “I agree that your behaviour was persistent and over a prolonged period, it used multiple methods of control and coercion, and at times it was designed and intended to humiliate and degrade… I have no hesitation in categorising your culpability as high.”
Mr Halliday acknowledged that there had been no previous findings against Dr Khan but submitted that there “is a concern significant enough to find that Dr Khan’s fitness to practise is currently impaired”.
In relation to the health, safety and well-being of the public, Mr Halliday invited the Tribunal to find that Dr Khan’s fitness to practise was impaired on those grounds, and that a finding of impairment was necessary to order to protect and promote the safety and well-being of patients.
Mr Halliday acknowledged that professional standards were not an issue in the matter but that a finding of impairment should be made to promote and maintain those proper standards required of the profession, as he had “breached fundamental tenets of the profession”.
Dr Khan submitted a written statement to the Tribunal. It read: “I sincerely apologise to [Ms A] for causing physical and mental trauma and to the public for bringing disrepute to the medical profession.
“I have no hesitation to accept in clearest words possible that, I am filled with profound regret, shame and utmost guilt for my actions, which I recognise were completely unacceptable.
“There is no justification for my severe criminal and unjustified coercive behaviour, and I take full responsibility for the hurt, disappointment, and consequences it has caused.
“Every single day, I am haunted by the weight of my mistakes, and I deeply regret the pain, I have inflicted on [XXX]. I wish, I could undo my actions, but since I cannot, I am committed to learning from this painful experience, making amends where possible, and proving through my future conduct that this does not define, who I truly am.
“I want to express my profound respect for the medical profession… Medicine is not just a career. It is a calling rooted in compassion, integrity, and service to others. Every day I spent without caring for patients leaves me with an empty mark on my life.
“The lessons I have learnt about humility, responsibility, and human connection will stay with me forever. With a positivity and hope, I humbly assure you that, if I would have given a chance to start practicing, my reverence for the oath I took and the trust placed in me by patients and colleagues will never waver.”
The Tribunal found that Dr Khan had breached fundamental tenets of the profession and had brought the medical profession into disrepute, and therefore determined that Dr Khan’s fitness to practise is impaired by reason of his conviction.
On September 5, the Tribunal had to decide whether to sanction Dr Khan. Mr Halliday submitted that erasure from the Medical Register was the only appropriate sanction.
Dr Khan stated that it was only when he was convicted that he realised that his behaviour was wrong, and that he had believed that his conduct was culturally acceptable.
Dr Khan said that he was not aware of coercive control until he had been found guilty of the offence and, when this happened, he decided to change his behaviour. He said that his Probation Officer helped him to address his behaviour.
He informed the Tribunal that he did take some courses in prison, and he went through the Building Better relationship course over 4 months following his release. Dr Khan stated that he did not agree with the GMC submissions that his name should be erased from the Medical Register.
The Tribunal concluded that, in light of Dr Khan’s conviction, three-year custody and an indefinite restraining order, “this was a serious departure from the principles set out in GMP with his behaviour being fundamentally incompatible with being a doctor”.
The Tribunal therefore determined to erase Dr Khan’s name from the medical register. Dr Khan’s registration was immediately suspended.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and were abused in state run medical and health facilities, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm.
Dignity4Patients Commentary: Allegations of sexual abuse by trusted professionals in healthcare systems are particularly disturbing because they violate one of the most fundamental dynamics in our society: the trust placed in those charged with care and authority. When a patient enters a medical office, they expect that their wellbeing will be prioritized. This trust is magnified in the case of children and vulnerable adults. To exploit that trust is not only a personal failing, but a systemic one if it goes unchecked.
