Doctor struck off after rape conviction appeal

Dr. Aloaye Foy-Yamah, a former consultant at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, has been permanently struck off the UK medical register after an appeal by the General Medical Council (GMC). This follows an initial tribunal ruling in March 2025 that suspended his license for only 12 months, despite accepting he had raped a woman. The GMC appealed this decision to the High Court, which mandated a new hearing.

The subsequent tribunal, chaired by Christine McLoughlin, concluded that Dr. Foy-Yamah posed a risk to women and must be removed from practice. A GMC spokesperson stated that sexual misconduct has no place in healthcare and that Dr. Foy-Yamah's removal was necessary to protect patients. The initial tribunal chair had deemed the attack a "one-off" event not affecting patient safety, a decision criticized as victim-blaming and inadequately assessing risk.

Campaign groups like Surviving in Scrubs expressed dismay, calling the original ruling appalling and undermining public trust. Dr. Foy-Yamah maintained his innocence, but his appeal to the High Court was dismissed. The tribunal heard harrowing details of the assault, where the victim described his forceful advances. McLoughlin noted Dr. Foy-Yamah's lack of meaningful insight into his behavior and his failure to acknowledge the impact on the victim or the profession's reputation, thus prohibiting his practice as a doctor in the UK.