Doctor who slapped patient on Ayrshire Covid ward cleared of wrongdoing

A doctor who shook a ‘difficult' patient, shouted at them and slapped them across the face before saying to colleagues “that felt good,” has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Dr Ziyad Al-Janabi appeared at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) to answer allegations over his behaviour in Ayr Hospital’s ‘Red Resus’ area.

The incident took place on May 23, 2020, when Al-Janabi, a specialist doctor in emergency medicine, was working in the ‘Red Resus.’Red Resus is an area for patients who are very unwell and, at that time, was being used to treat those suspected of having Covid-19.It was claimed his behaviour ‘concerned’ colleagues when he treated a semi-conscious patient, who’d been admitted with a suspected drug and alcohol overdose.On arrival at A&E, the man, known only as Patient ‘A’ had been semi-conscious but had become “agitated and combative.”The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.Staff in attendance were “unable to restrain” the patient and called for Dr Al-Janabi.He attended, repositioned the patient onto a trolley, but while doing this, he allegedly shook the patient, shouted at him and slapped them, before saying ‘that felt good.’The incident was reported, leading to an investigation over Al-Janabi’s fitness to practise.According to the MPTS report, Dr Al-Janabi saw the patient on his arrival and, after completing the usual checks, delegated care of