GP sexually assaulted patient, court told

A GP sexually assaulted a young woman during a consultation at the NHS walk-in centre where he worked, a court heard today.

Raza Hyder, 40, fondled the 23-year-old victim between her legs after she sought medical attention for a painful stomach, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, told the jury the alleged victim had been to see her own GP the day before the attack on July 30 last year.

She had been prescribed medicine for constipation but the following evening was again in pain while at work in a shop.

The woman then went to Arrowe Park Hospital walk-in centre where she was joined by her mother.

She arrived at 8pm and around 50 minutes later was called into the consultation room to see the doctor, the court heard.

He asked her what the problem was, checked her urine sample then asked her to lie on the couch for the examination.

Dr Hyder also asked her if she wanted somebody else present, but she declined, the court heard.

Mr Gibson told the jury: "He then put on some surgical gloves and moved her leggings and pants further down. He parted her legs and put his fingers in her vagina and kept his fingers in her vagina and moved them about for some time.

"At that point he asked her to turn over and lie on her stomach, pulled her leggings down to her ankles and repeated what he had done before.

"He then asked, 'Are you OK? Do you want me to stop? She said, 'Yes I want you to stop."'

Dr Hyder gave her a prescription and she left the room, looking "pale and shocked" according to her mother waiting outside.

"As they left the hospital she started to cry," Mr Gibson said.

"Her mother asked what happened. She said, 'He's touched me down below, rubbing me hard."'

Police were called and Dr Hyder arrested and interviewed on August 6.

He denied any allegation he acted improperly telling officers she told him the pain was between her legs and pulled her leggings down herself.

He accepted he examined her groin area but denied penetrating her with his fingers or asking her to turn over telling police he carried out an entirely appropriate examination based on the patient's information.

Mr Gibson added: "This is not a case where a patient has misunderstood the reason for and the nature of an examination by the doctor.

"The allegation here is Dr Hyder placed his fingers in her vagina, moved them around, rubbed her clitoris, first when lying on her back and secondly when lying on her stomach, in a sexual manner."

Dr Hyder, from Sandhurst Drive, Wilmslow, Cheshire, denies one count of sexual assault by penetration on July 31 last year.

The trial was adjourned until tomorrow morning.