13 doctors dead and counting

Dr Niall Dickson CEO  GMC

Last year 13 doctors died whilst under investigation by the GMC Fitness to Practice Directorate. If the GMC were an cardiac intensive care unit, an army recruiting barracks ( eg Deep Cut) or a geriatric ward, there might be an inquiry.

Yet when the methods used by a institution which puts itself forward as a world class centre of regulation,  are, year after year, associated with a dozen or more deaths, no one comments. Such is the staunch hypocrisy of those now ensconced in the governing institutions of this county that only appearances matter. As long as the GMC is not mentioned on the death certificate, no one is going to hold them to account.

The General Medical Council determines good medical practice, investigates complaints and breaches of that code of conduct, prepares the investigation, prosecutes, sets up the panels that decide on the evidence, set the penalty and enforces the sanctions.

And that makes North Korea look like a democracy

GMC suicides

This is why Dr Tracey Bloggs has so little time for the General Medical Council. Like the Burmese Generals and the followers of Aung San Suu Kyi, the General Medical Council plays with the lives of doctors who fall foul of its duplicitous standards.

Today's picture showing suicide and deaths following GMC investigation was presented at a recent meeting to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This mortality does not include doctors who die after their hearings have closed.

No one wants sick doctors to work, on the other hand, an episode of illness should not destroy their professional lives. The public needs protecting from the stigma and discrimination engendered by the GMC's approach to mental health.


Copyright (c) Nasty Gnome Party

The GMC 9 - data from the Health Review group

The GMC is finally showing concern over the number of doctors who die whilst being investigation under Fitness to Practice procedures. I had an email from the GMC requesting further information about the GMC 9. This data comes from the Health Review Group set up by the GMC to look their Health Procedures. After which everyone patted themselves on the back and did nothing

Of 212 doctors under the Health procedure in 2003/4 9 died. Nothing has changed, and if the GMC death rate is no longer available, it has no bearing on the one doctor a week who kills themselves. Improving mental health is about making people feel better, about themselves, about the world and about the future. Nothing that has happened in the 10 years since Shipman has reassured either the public or doctors.


Like Voodoo, the force of the GMC depends on the fear it produces in its victims. Its numerous vested interests range from Harley Street, NHS and Private Practice consortium, the drug company mafia, NuLabour, Trusts, scientology, freemasonry, misogyny, the Tavistock Clinic, and common purpose. Once doctors realise that the GMC is nothing more than a corrupt bureaucracy held held together by fear and greed, there is not a lot to be bothered about.

As Dr Rita Pal says, the danger lies taking the GMC seriously. They only weapon is fear, and once that is gone, you can see them for what they are. Of course, it is hard fighting an organisation as warped the GMC. Their approach to Dr Raj Mattu provides ample evidence of their corrupt and unholy alliance with the Trusts.

And if you can stand having your life pored over, your clinical work examined in painstaking detail, your character assassinated and your reputation destroyed, you can stand up to the GMC and if you can treat the twin imposters of triumph and disaster just the same, the GMC has little hold on you.

Alternatively take your knowledge and skills where it is appreciated. Defrocked doctors do well in the complementary medical fields where their medical knowledge and experience are widely appreciated and many are now making a good living, in fields as diverse as Health Practitioners, Coaches, Live blood analysts, colonic therapists, nutritionists, and psychotherapists as well as running training courses in medical studies.

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What is racist, homophobic, prejudiced and not the GMC?

Show trials whilst parading the bodies of the dead and living dead. GMC news reports the case of "a doctor didn't attend their GMC hearing". So you thought you could just walk away and the GMC wouldn't notice you had not attended to hear their verdict on your "misconduct"?

If you don't turn up for your execution, or defend yourself in their show trial, the GMC will erase you and publicly drag your body through the streets. The GMC will highlight your case in their "warnings to doctors" with enough details for your friends, family, future employers and anyone with an ounce of initiative to find your identity. They will send your corpse to every doctor in the land trussed up in a copy of GMC News.

In the meantime the GMC lets those who help people to die in the name of the "palliative care" are allowed to practice with impunity. Step forward Robbie Powell's doctors and Dr Ann J Barton.

The extra- quasi-judicial sanctions of the GMC include

Death
1 - By harrying you to suicide. In 2003/4; 9 of 215 doctors prior to any hearing quasi-judicial investigation by the GMC died, three at least, were through suicide

2 - Deaths, disease and marriage breakup secondary to the stress of drawn out proceedings where your life is laid bare for every newspaper to devour. Eaton published a paper around 2004 on the mortality and morbidity associated with GMC proceedings. It was in the region of 30%

Living death
1 - Financial ruin
The Defence Unions run out on you, leaving you with legal bills that would sink a Rothschild. The GMC using its member subscriptions can bet the bank and its reserves, to raise enough complaints against you, until you and your family are homeless and destitute

2 - Reputational Ruin
The GMC allows enough misinformation to leak into the newspapers, not least through its own barristers' innuendos, to make Max Moseley blush.

3 - Clinical Ruin
Modern Prescreening employment forms ensure that even a minor brush with the GMC means you never work again.




As you sow, so shall you reap

For the record Public's trust in profession betrayed by General Medical Council


Judge Michael will be soon be sitting, and like Judge Judy, he rehears cases that come before the General Medical Council and gives his own verdict. If, for example, your colleagues will not cooperate with your assessment, without which you get struck off, it is understandable that a naive, newly qualified young doctor might do something, that with, hindsight was silly. No one died, and there is more to this case than meets the eye. Yet the GMC have paraded this parody before the nation. Disproportionate is the word that comes to mind.

Makes a nonsense of confidentiality

Cheer up love, you are better off without them. And the answer to my question - "you think of something, I cant."





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Doctors worry about the stigma of mental illness

Doctors are worried about the stigma of having a mental illness Click here for the full story There are good reasons to be worried, because when doctors end up in the hands of the General Medical Council, their careers are over.





The General Medical Council has an old-fashioned view of mental ill health. If someone is not of "sound mind", then they are worse than Dr Shipman who was at least of" sound mind". The General Medical Council knows how dangerous doctors with mental health problems are, because they read the Sun. You know, the stories with headlines like "Psycho killer" - although to be fair to the Sun, even they have cleaned up their act.


The General Medical Council knows how much it helps a person's mental health to be put in trial in front of their peers, to have their psychiatric notes peered over by everyone from the Chairman to the Char lady.
1 - It stops doctors seeking help.
2 - It promotes stigma and discrimination. And
3 - It enhances the reputation of the medical profession.


Three birds with one stone! It worked in the middle ages, and it works now. It worked in Soviet Russia, where dissidents ended up in psychiatric wards.

The General Medical Council is weeding mental illness out of the medical profession. If you declare a mental illness, you won't be selected, if you have poor mental health as a student, - a bit of depression etc you will be suspended. And if the medical student conceals their mental health problems until later in their career, its easy - they get done for concealment! If you have feelings, get upset, or even too happy, leave medicine now. Those feelings will get you into trouble. Because if you have feelings, (as opposed to being a psychopath or sociopath) you are at RISK OF MENTAL ILLNESS.

Everyone with a "risk of mental illness", is a target for the General Medical Council. Health procedures include mental ill health and the "risk of mental ill health".

In 2003/4 9 of 215 doctors under GMC "supervision" by the health procedures, died. Three at least were suicide. Once this was brought to their attention, the GMC took appropriate action - they stopped collecting the information.


As Dr India and others will tell you, there is no escape from the Health Gulag. You cannot eliminate risk, so its safer to eliminate the doctor.


Nice work Philips, Catto, Rubin, Findlay and the soon to be appointed Niall Dickson

And Niall,

I will be disappointed if you don't carry on destroying doctors with mental health problems, or continue the quasi judicial show trials (Open to the public Monday to Friday lunchtime, London and Manchester) or the absurdities of medical regulation and revalidation. If you did try and do something positive, Dr Rita Pal and I might run out things to write about and that would be a shame.

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My Story about the GMC 2005

This was written eighteen months before X's own suicide. The exact events leading up to X's death remain unclear. Nonetheless, her story is as relevant today as it was then. Despite her fighting spirit, X remained terrified of a further GMC referral that might not have been possible to fight off. "Conditions" on a doctors registration due to illness mean that they are effectively unable to seek or achieve promotion, regardless of their ability to work effectively.







My Story about the GMC

In October 2002 I was arrested in a stationary vehicle in a car park over the alcohol limit for driving. This was the culmination of a turbulent 2 years living with an undiagnosed and untreated bipolar illness. I was convicted of drink driving in February of 2004 which resulted in GMC involvement.
At the time both GMC examiners agreed I was fit to practice generally but one recommended a period of medical supervision ...’due to the relapsing nature of my illness’.
The GMC concluded that my fitness to practice ‘might be impaired by reason of bipolar disorder’.
In July 2004 I agreed to medical supervision and the associated supposed ‘voluntary’undertakings.
One of the standard undertakings being to permit the GMC to disclose certain undertakings to any person requesting information about your registration status

On 11th July 2005 I received a letter from the GMC informing me that a number of my undertakings would be made available on the GMC online search facility and would remain their historically even if my registration status changed.
I wrote immediately to them forbidding them from disclosing information in this way and asked if I could appeal against ongoing medical supervision. I was told rather scathingly that of course there is no recourse to appeal. In response to this I formally withdrew from the previous undertakings.

The GMC responded by referring me to a fitness to practice hearing to be held in October 2005.

I took the following steps:


As a member of the MPS I was provided with a solicitor and a barrister.
I requested all GMC held paperwork on my case using the data protection and freedom of information acts.
I requested 3 independent medical opinions in addition to the 2 GMC appointed examiners.
I requested testimonials from all consultants I had worked with since being a psychiatry trainee in the UK (2000) explaining my situation and asking them specifically to comment on fitness to practice.
In addition I requested testimonials from my colleagues at the time. CPN’s and my secretary contributed!
I downloaded the health specific information from the GMC website and sent it to the information commissioner with a request for his comments





One week before the hearing was due to take place it was cancelled by the GMC on the advice of their lawyers. At that point they were in possession of 4 of the reports all stating I was fit to practice.


I quote from the GMC’s legal opinion;

‘It is unusual to find this degree of unanimity in 4 psychiatrists. In the light of their reports it is my opinion that the GMC would not be able to prove that Dr Shepherd needed to be under supervision nor that she needed to have conditions placed on her registration.’

I am no longer under GMC supervision. In addition I have in writing from the GMC that there is no longer any history against my registration and therefore nothing to disclose on the online search facility.

It was a very stressful time but one thing became quite clear. The GMC are not used to doctors defending themselves and basically don’t seem to know what to do when their usual intimidation doesn’t work.
On the basis of my experience I would encourage doctors to stand up to the GMC.
The GMC’s behaviour towards doctors with mental illness is illogical, prejudiced and I am convinced illegal. Unfortunately some of my psychiatric colleagues collude with the process and I have contacted RCPsych expressing my concerns regarding this.

My e mail is XXXXXXXXX I’d be keen to hear about other peoples experiences and am more than happy to offer support.

Dr XXXXX

Lest we forget

Thank you Rita, and NHS exposed for highlighting the case of Debraj

Last year Belinda also died, on the day of her discharge from a psychiatric ward. Yes questions need to be asked about that too. Belinda, or Binks, as she was better known had spent many years being hounded by the GMC

In 2003/4, 9 of 215 doctors under investigation by the General Medical Council died. 3, at least, were suicide and known to me personally.

Binks was a compassionate, courageous, and well-loved General Practitioner, who left a wider legacy. Binks went through the GMC Health procedures and went back to work. She wrote about her experiences in “Doctors as Patients”

Through her work with the Doctors Support Network she helped other doctors going through what they also found to be degrading and destructive experience. Binks worked with the GMC to improve the way they treat doctors and help humanise that process. Binks raised funding to set up the Doctors Support Line 0870 7650001. This remains the only confidential, anonymous support line for doctors. In addition, Binks worked each year for Crisis at Christmas.

Outside medicine, Binks was a respected and popular hockey and squash player. A Junior Team Memorial Tournament has been set up in her memory. She leaves her parents, her brother and her cherished niece and nephews, Max, Stephanie and Milly.





As was Vanessa Lloyd-Davies

Maj. Vanessa Lloyd-Davies (44) first British female medical officer to head the Household Cavalry, a historic regiment of the British Army commonly identified by its mounted ceremonial duties seen at events such as the Queen's Birthday Parade. Lloyd-Davies was awarded a military MBE in 1993 for her work in Bosnia, where she attended badly wounded children under mortar fire. She suffered from severe depression and committed suicide in England on February 16, 2005.

Dr Susan Hamilton, Doctors Support Line volunteer

and for all those not here named

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