A former contestant on BBC's The Apprentice has been permanently removed from the medical register following a tribunal's ruling on a series of 'seriously offensive' social media posts and separate professional misconduct.
Social Media Posts Deemed 'Antisemitic, Racist and Sexist'
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) found that Dr Asif Munaf posted and reposted discriminatory content from his X account, @DrAsifOfficial, on 36 separate occasions between October 2023 and July 2024. Dr Munaf, who appeared on the 2024 series of Lord Sugar's business competition, did not attend the tribunal hearing and was not legally represented.
MPTS chairwoman Kate Kirwin stated the conduct was 'sustained and repeated' and continued even after the regulator had raised initial concerns. She highlighted one post in particular that was 'deliberately shocking and provocative by denying/minimising the holocaust and making explicit reference to death and beheaded babies'.
At a previous hearing, Dr Munaf, registered under his full name Mohammed Asif Munaf, denied the posts were antisemitic but conceded they were 'not befitting of someone as educated as myself' and were made 'in the heat of the emotion'.
Further Professional Misconduct Uncovered
The tribunal also examined two other serious breaches of professional standards. It was proven that in January 2024, Dr Munaf walked out of a locum placement as a cardiology specialist registrar at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust without providing notice or a good reason.
Furthermore, in November 2024 while suspended from practice, he inappropriately provided a sick note to a patient. The tribunal ruled he showed a 'complete disregard and a lack of respect' for the regulator by ignoring its requirements.
Tribunal's Final Decision and Reasoning
In delivering the decision to strike Dr Munaf off, Ms Kirwin said his behaviours indicated 'an arrogant disregard for patients and colleagues, the views of others and the regulator'. She concluded the misconduct was 'unbefitting a registered doctor' and pointed to a 'deep-seated and ongoing attitudinal issue'.
The tribunal noted a critical lack of insight, reflection, or remediation from Dr Munaf. It determined that the seriousness of the proven facts and the ongoing risk to public protection meant his continued registration would undermine public confidence in the medical profession.
A spokesperson for the General Medical Council reinforced the ruling, stating: 'There is no place for antisemitism, sexism or misogyny in medicine, and we will always seek to strike off doctors for such conduct.'
