General Osteopathic Council removes Salah Said from its Register of osteopaths

The allegation considered by the PCC was that Mr Said had behaved in a manner that was sexually motivated while treating two patients.

The PCC determined that Mr Said ‘abused his position of trust and the significant imbalance of power, in relation to both patients, for his own sexual gratification’ and concluded that his behaviour was ‘abhorrent’.

In deciding the appropriate and sufficient sanction, the PCC considered that Mr Said had exploited two vulnerable patients for sexual gratification and that this abuse and exploitation persisted for a significant period of time. In finding the allegations proved, the PCC determined that Mr Said ‘pursued a course of conduct in relation to two separate patients which involved skin-to-skin touching that was sexually motivated’, including the touching of one patient’s genitals and making sexualised comments.

The PCC noted the seriousness of the sexualised behaviour towards the two patients and that this behaviour strikes at the heart of the patient-practitioner relationship.

The PCC was ‘driven to the inevitable conclusion’ that Mr Said’s ‘conduct and behaviour, his attitudinal deficiencies, lack of insight and remorse and the absence of remediation giving rise to a risk of repetition were fundamentally incompatible with continued registration’.

The PCC therefore determined that Mr Said’s name should be removed from the Register of osteopaths, which took place with effect from 24 March 2021 and he is now unable to practise as an osteopath.

Mr Salah was informed of the PCC’s decision on 23 February 2021, and his right to appeal within 28 days, but no appeal was lodged.

Read the full hearing decision.