An Indian-origin gynaecologist in the UK has been suspended after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct. Dr Premila Thampi, 62, from South London, was accused of pressuring a first-time mother into a forceps delivery, even though the woman had requested a caesarean section.

The incident took place in October 2016 at Milton Keynes University Hospital. The mother, who was 41 weeks pregnant and had a neuromuscular condition, later said she felt traumatised by the experience and claimed that her baby suffered head and facial injuries from the forceps.

Dr Thampi allegedly insisted she was the senior doctor and suggested she could have left the procedure to a junior colleague instead of staying beyond her shift. During a hearing in Manchester, it was revealed that Dr Thampi ignored the mother's repeated refusals to use forceps. She reportedly warned the mother by saying, "You are putting your own baby at risk," and, "You need to let me do this, as I don’t know what is going to happen to your baby."

Eventually, the mother agreed to the forceps delivery but shouted at Dr Thampi during the procedure, saying, "I hate you, you haven’t listened." The mother also shared that Dr Thampi entered her room, asked if she was ready for an instrumental delivery, and left without properly explaining what it involved or the instruments that would be used. The woman clearly stated that she did not want a forceps delivery.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) found Dr Thampi guilty of serious misconduct for failing to obtain informed consent, pressuring the patient, and poor communication. She has been suspended from practising for three weeks. The tribunal chair described the case as serious, stressing that disciplinary action was necessary to maintain public trust in the medical profession. In her defence, Dr Thampi argued that the mother only objected to the forceps when it was too late to perform a safe C-section.