UK: Muslim doctor suspended after Piers Morgan appearance reinstated by NHS
A British doctor who was suspended by NHS London after appearing on Piers Morgan's show on Talk TV has been reinstated, his lawers said on Monday.
Dr Wahid Shaida was the UK chair of Hizb ut-Tahrir until it was proscribed by the British government in January.
Shaida appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored last year after the 7 October attack by Hamas-led fighters in southern Israel, which killed at least 1,149 people and saw 250 people, including soldiers and civilians, taken captive.
In a heated exchange, Morgan and Shaida debated Islamic law and the justifications for the attacks.
In a statement in January, NHS London said: "We can confirm that Dr Wahid Shaida has been suspended from the NHS primary care performers list."
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That announcement was then shared by Morgan on the social media platform X.
On Monday, Shaida's lawyers at Rahman Lowe said: "Dr Shaida has never hidden his political affiliation, but ensured as much as he could that it was entirely separate from his professional role as a doctor and a GP. At no stage did he operate in a covert way."
BREAKING: NHS doctor @AbdulWahid_X who runs UK arm of newly-proscribed terror group Hizb ut-Tahrir has been suspended. London NHS Statement: ‘We can confirm that Dr Wahid Shaida has been suspended from the NHS primary care performers list.’ pic.twitter.com/KsBBmumUle
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 23, 2024
His legal team said that Shaida should not have been sanctioned for his religious and philosophical beliefs.
"Views expressed during his interview on Talk TV were in accordance with his fundamental right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights," Rahman Lowe said.
A panel at NHS England decided there was "insufficient evidence" to justify Shaida's suspension.
In a statement sent to Middle East Eye, an NHS spokesperson said: “Following a thorough investigation, the evidence regarding Dr Shaida’s conduct and practice was considered by an NHS England Panel at an oral hearing on 11 July, in accordance with regulations and published policy.
"No evidence was found that he has had involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir since the organisation was proscribed."
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