Title: Doctor Struck Off UK Medical Register After Hiding 14 Australian Convictions
A doctor who failed to disclose 14 criminal convictions in Australia, including stalking, threatening to kill and breaching court orders, has been struck off the UK medical register after a tribunal found he acted dishonestly when applying to work in the NHS.
A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel ruled that Dr Salah-ud-Din Taj falsely declared he had no criminal convictions when applying for General Medical Council (GMC) registration in 2018. He also made the same declaration when applying for a locum consultant role at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust in 2019.
Despite the omissions, Taj worked at the trust in 2020 and later secured a position at Lincoln County Hospital in 2022 before his criminal history was uncovered.
The tribunal heard Taj had been convicted of 14 offences in Australia in 2016, including stalking, threatening to kill and breaching intervention orders. His convictions were later discovered by North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which referred the matter to the GMC.
The panel concluded Taj had shown persistent dishonesty by concealing his criminal record and misleading both the regulator and NHS employers. It found his conduct seriously undermined public confidence in the medical profession.
In its ruling, the tribunal said doctors have a duty to be open and honest about criminal convictions and determined that erasure from the medical register was the only appropriate sanction.
The case has renewed concerns over checks on overseas-trained doctors seeking to practise in the UK, with regulators continuing to review how foreign criminal histories are assessed during the registration process.
