A doctor who had been able to practise medicine in Ireland despite being under sanction in the UK for 18 months has now been suspended by Irish authorities.
Dr Asif Ali was one of 11 practitioners identified in an Irish Times investigation who faced serious sanctions in the UK and yet remained registered to practise in Ireland.
Since the publication of the investigation last month, the doctor has been suspended by the Medical Council until further notice.
It comes a year and a half after he was subject to strict conditions on his practise by the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC) and shortly after the GMC moved to suspend the doctor fully in September.
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A spokeswoman for the Irish Medical Council (IMC) confirmed his suspension in Ireland and said it had taken action following a notification from the GMC. It said it could not comment further as the investigation was ongoing
Dr Ali obtained his medical qualification from Xinjiang Medical University in China in 2018 before registering to practise medicine in Ireland in February 2023 with the registration number 503260. A month later, he also registered to practise in the UK.
Shortly after his registration, UK authorities moved to restrict his ability to practise in the country. However, no restrictions were recorded on Dr Ali’s Irish registration until last month.
According to an updated record from the IMC, the doctor is now “prohibited from engaging in the practise of medicine” until further steps are taken under the Medical Practitioners Act 2007.
The reason behind the sanctions by the UK authorities remains unclear. A spokeswoman from the GMC confirmed he was under investigation and not permitted to treat patients in the country.
In April 2024, Dr Ali was subject to “interim orders” by a medical practitioners tribunal which initially imposed conditions on his practice. These conditions were later replaced with an interim suspension, she said.
The spokeswoman said the GMC could take action in this regard “if information arises that a doctor may present an immediate risk to public protection, including patient safety, the public’s confidence in the medical profession and professional standards and conduct.
The Irish Times has found no evidence Dr Ali practised in Ireland. He could not be reached for comment.
Two other doctors who share the same name as Dr Asif Ali are also registered to practise in Ireland. One works for the Health Service Executive in the area of orthopaedic health. No evidence could be found of the other working in Ireland.
Unlike the Dr Ali suspended by the Medical Council, these doctors qualified in Pakistan. They have not been subject to any sanctions and are not under investigation in any jurisdiction.
The IMC previously said it adhered to all regulations regarding the sharing and receiving of information on sanctioned doctors.
Records show several other doctors identified by the Irish Times investigation still remain eligible to practise in Ireland, despite facing suspension or serious sanction overseas.
These include Dr Fabrizio de Rita, a renowned heart surgeon who previously worked in Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin.
He was struck off the UK’s medical register for sexual misconduct last year.
However, he remains registered to practise in Ireland and no details of the sexual misconduct findings are listed on his Irish public registry.
In response to queries, Dr de Rita’s lawyer said his client had always denied the “unjust accusations”.
Another practitioner, Dr Gavriel Simha Furedi, was able to obtain a licence in Ireland and retain it for more than two years despite being under investigation in Norway for lacking basic medical knowledge.
He was eventually issued with an interim suspension by Irish authorities. However, he remains on the register here pending a full fitness-to-practise hearing.
The Irish authorities have been unable to obtain certain documents relating to the case from their Norwegian counterparts. This is preventing them from progressing with a full fitness-to-practise hearing.
