Struck-Off Doctor Performs Circumcisions as Layperson – Safeguarding Fears Rise
- A physician previously removed from the UK’s medical register following a serious incident during a circumcision procedure is reportedly continuing to perform the practice as a layperson, raising...
- The physician, Zuber Bux, was struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC) in 2021 after a series of medical errors during the circumcision of a 15-month-old boy...
- The specific errors included failing to adequately assess the child’s cardiac condition, insufficient communication with the parents regarding the risks of performing the procedure in a community setting,...
A physician previously removed from the UK’s medical register following a serious incident during a circumcision procedure is reportedly continuing to perform the practice as a layperson, raising significant safeguarding concerns. The case highlights a regulatory gap in the UK, where there is currently no legal requirement for individuals performing circumcisions to be medically trained.
The physician, Zuber Bux, was struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC) in after a series of medical errors during the circumcision of a -month-old boy with a known heart condition. According to the GMC panel’s summary, Bux demonstrated a “cavalier approach” to the procedure, leading to the child’s hospitalization with potentially life-threatening complications. The panel determined his misconduct was so severe that removal from the medical register was the only appropriate sanction to protect the public and maintain professional standards.
The specific errors included failing to adequately assess the child’s cardiac condition, insufficient communication with the parents regarding the risks of performing the procedure in a community setting, inadequate pain relief – the topical anesthetic used did not provide sufficient numbness – and administering an excessive amount of liquid morphine. Despite these findings, Bux continues to advertise his services as a “circumcision practitioner” through his website, drzuberbux.com.
This case is not isolated. The National Secular Society (NSS) obtained data revealing that Bux is one of three former doctors removed from the medical register between and due to complaints related to botched circumcisions. Mohammad Siddiqui, another private circumciser, was also struck off by the GMC in following medical failures in four separate circumcisions. Siddiqui was later sentenced to over five years in prison in for causing “gratuitous pain and suffering” during procedures performed between and .
The lack of regulation surrounding circumcision is drawing increased scrutiny. The Crown Prosecution Service is currently consulting on guidance that would categorize circumcision as a potential form of child abuse. This consideration stems from concerns raised by judges and coroners regarding the absence of oversight for the procedure. Since , circumcision has been a contributing factor in the deaths of seven boys in the UK, including three who died from bleeding.
Bux currently offers circumcisions for “religious/cosmetic reasons” to infants up to six months old in the north-west of England, including areas like Blackburn, Preston, Bolton, Burnley, Accrington, and Nelson. His website states he has been performing circumcisions since and that he was previously a senior partner at a GP practice, but does not explain his removal from the GMC register.
The GMC tribunal hearing revealed that Bux was deemed “reckless and cavalier” in his treatment of the -month-old patient, risking fatal complications by performing the procedure outside of a hospital setting. Bux was also struck off for “financially motivated dishonesty” after signing hundreds of fraudulent sick notes for his wife’s legal firm.
Alejandro Sanchez, head of human rights at the NSS, expressed strong concerns, stating, “The fact that Mr Bux can perfectly legally continue to circumcise boys is a catastrophic failure of child safeguarding that is endangering the lives of boys.” He further argued that ritual circumcision is medically unnecessary, potentially dangerous, and infringes upon a child’s right to freedom of religion or belief. Sanchez advocates that circumcision should only be performed by qualified doctors when medically necessary, and that decisions regarding non-therapeutic circumcision should be deferred until the individual is capable of making an informed choice.
The ongoing practice by a previously sanctioned physician underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the legal and ethical framework surrounding circumcision in the UK. The current absence of regulation leaves vulnerable infants at risk and raises serious questions about the safeguarding of children.