Joint Open Letter from:         

Children’s Covid Vaccines Advisory Council (CCVAC)

Doctors for Patients UK (DfPUK)

Health Advisory and Recovery Team (HART)

UK Medical Freedom Alliance (UKMFA)

To:       Rt Hon Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark, National Guardian, National Guardian’s Office

Suzanne McCarthy, Independent Chair of the National Guardian’s Office 

12 March 2026

Dear Mr Streeting

Re: The GMC is Failing in its Duty to Protect the Public and Needs Urgent Reform

In recent years, the General Medical Council (GMC) has instigated investigations and Fitness to Practice cases which appear to prioritise protecting Public Health policy and the ‘reputation of the profession’ above public safety. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) is supposedly independent of the GMC, yet both bodies have shown an inclination to investigate and sanction doctors who question the status quo. The MPTS’s duty is to apply the minimum sanction required to protect the public, yet their decisions have varied wildly from overly harsh to recklessly lax. 

We are deeply concerned about the abuse of the GMC referral process to silence whistleblowers. And by the failure of the NHS Speaking Up service to provide meaningful support to whistleblowers who speak out against NHS or government policy. Resulting in a culture of fear among doctors, making them reluctant to speak out about patient harm, with serious implications for patient safety. These issues were highlighted in the Cumberlege Report ‘First Do No Harm’ and, more recently, by the Infected Blood Inquiry. And confirmed in May 2024 by the GMC Chair, Professor Carrie MacEwen, in a letter to doctors stating,

“[people] have taken actions to silence whistleblowers, including threatening referral to the GMC. We are of course aware that referrals to us are sometimes used to intimidate… We are continuously assessing… whether further interventions are needed to prevent retaliatory or weaponised referrals.”

It appears that politically motivated cases are being brought against doctors expressing concerns about Covid vaccine policies or safety. The GMC’s continued actions against such doctors, including erasure for raising patient safety concerns, is in stark contrast to recent GMC cases of serious sexual misconduct, where suspension or even just a warning have been applied.

Cases Illustrating Inconsistent MPTS Decisions

1. Minimal sanctions for serious sexual offences
   • i. Rape – Dr Aloaye Foy-Yamah suspended for 1 year.
   • ii. Child pornography – Dr Girling was allowed to continue working for 15 months while under police investigation for having indecent images of children. He was only struck off after he was convicted.
   • iii. Child pornography – Urologist Paul Sturch received a suspended sentence in court despite downloading images of abuse in children as young as 4-years of age. He was subsequently suspended by the GMC but, incredibly, has still not been erased.
   • iv. Sexual activity with another staff member while neglecting clinical duties – Anaesthetist Dr Suhail Anjum received a warning (not even a suspension) for having sex with a colleague in an adjacent operating theatre, while his patient was still on the operating table undergoing surgery.
2. Whistleblower doctors struck off for criticising lockdowns or reporting Covid vaccine harm
   • Sam White was erased from the GMC register after raising concerns about Covid policies and vaccine safety on a face-to-camera online video and interviews on independent media channels. No patient complaints were ever made against him.
   • Anne McCloskey worked on the Covid front line during 2020. In 2021 she spoke out publicly after seeing Covid vaccine injuries in her practice, which resulted in the GMC striking her off. She was even briefly imprisoned for refusing to pay a fine for breaching lockdown rules.
   • Daniel Armstrong was also erased for posting a self-recorded interview on X.
   • David Cartland has been mercilessly persecuted by the GMC. After witnessing serious vaccine injuries in his GP practice, he spoke out against vaccinating children and pregnant women. Told by the GMC that his views on Covid vaccines were irrelevant (despite this being the primary allegation against Drs White, Armstrong and McCloskey), they instead accused him of harassing other doctors on social media. Despite the GMC case quoting the Protection against Harassment Act, no police interview or criminal prosecution has ever taken place. In his MPTS tribunal hearing, Dr Cartland’s witnesses were refused and much of his own statement deemed inadmissible, in what can only be described as a ‘Kangaroo Court’ hearing.

Vexatious Claims Enabled by the GMC

Dr Sarah Myhill has been reported to the GMC by other doctors (never by her patients) on over 40 occasions over 25 years. On every occasion, when she represented herself, the case was dismissed. On one occasion the GMC lawyer was heard to comment that “the problem with the Myhill cases is that all the patients are better and none will give witness statements [against her].”

At a recent hearing, which Dr Myhill did not attend, she was finally suspended. Since then, she has successfully defended herself against another GMC complaint, made while she was suspended. Ironically, Dr Myhill requested removal from the GMC Register several years ago as she practises naturopathic medicine. A request refused by the GMC, who continue to pursue her in this vexatious way.

Failure to Follow Due Process Creating a “Kangaroo Court”

We are aware of cases where the GMC has refused to hear testimony from ‘defence’ witnesses and deemed large amounts of contextual evidence inadmissible, thus denying the accused a fair trial and justice.  This was particularly apparent in the recent case brought against Dr David Cartland, where all six defence witnesses were rejected. Dr Sarah Myhill was also denied the opportunity to bring witnesses at her appeal hearing in the High Court. 

For decades, the Bolam principle formed the foundation of how courts assess clinical decision-making. Upholding a doctor’s right to employ non-standard medical care, if a body of doctors supported this practice. More recently, care has become increasingly directed by protocols, and doctors acting in good faith, in the best interests of their individual patient, are no longer automatically supported or protected. 

In a criminal court, there is a presumption of innocence; guilt must be established ‘beyond reasonable doubt’. However, the MPTS is only required to base their decision on balance of probability, making doctors who speak or act against the orthodoxy very vulnerable to political and personal targeting.

A doctor with a 30-year unblemished record can lose their licence to practice for speaking out against a public health measure, following a single, anonymous complaint; despite not a single patient harmed and despite thousands of doctors across the world sharing their concerns and large numbers of peer-reviewed publications supporting their observations. This is inconsistent with the General Medical Council’s overriding statutory objective of protecting, promoting and maintaining the health and safety of the public.

Bias and Overreach

MPTS panels have demonstrated an assumption that government policy is always right and that anyone questioning policy is, therefore, spreading misinformation which constitutes a risk to public health. This is inherently biased and dangerous, ignoring the possibility that these doctors could be raising legitimate and real patient safety concerns, and protecting public health. 

MPTS panels have demonstrated the misguided belief that whistleblowers undermine public trust in the medical profession. Yet the doctors mentioned in this letter have strong public support, receiving numerous messages of thanks for their courageous stand.

In addition, justice is not imparted equally by the GMC. For example, Dr Cartland has been the target of numerous hostile tweets, including death threats, from other registered doctors. Yet, despite these doctors being reported to the GMC and the police, they have refused to investigate.

Working with other Agencies to Further Punish Whistleblower Doctors

Apparently not satisfied by removing his registration and livelihood, the GMC/MPTS also reported Dr Cartland to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), who put him on their Vulnerable Adults and Children Barred Lists.  This devastating, disproportionate and unjust sanction will detrimentally impact every aspect of his life and cannot be a fair consequence for arguing with other doctors on social media and writing five letters supporting patient choice against vaccination. It can only be described as a witch hunt.

There has been no demonstration of resulting harm that meets, or even comes close to, the criteria described on an approved DBS checking website:

“To end up on a barred list, the person must have committed a particularly serious crime that suggests that they will forever be a risk to children or vulnerable adults. The most common type of crimes that land people on a barred list are sexual offences or violence against children or vulnerable adults.”

DBS is required by law to accept any ‘finding of fact’ by the GMC, through the MPTS tribunal, as reliable fact. Yet those added to the Barred Lists following a criminal conviction, are based on a decision ‘beyond reasonable doubt’. Whereas an MPTS ruling is only based on ‘balance of probabilities’, a far lower burden of proof. 

In recent correspondence from the DBS, a reason cited for putting that doctor on the Barred List was his belief that he was entitled to ‘ignore and flout policies and protocols. . .’ by not recommending Covid vaccines to his patients.This extremely concerning statement implies that questioning the safety of, or not recommending, Covid vaccines somehow make a doctor a danger to patients more widely.  Policies and guidelines are there to help guide doctors to make decisions in their patients’ best interest and are not binding. Deciding to treat a patient outside an NHS guideline is not and never has been a safeguarding matter. 

Decisions Pending

Dr Aseem Malhotra is a senior cardiologist who initially strongly supported the Covid vaccine rollout. However, in 2022, after observing serious cardiovascular harm from the gene-based products in his practice, he spoke out publicly to raise his concerns. As a result, he was reported to the GMC, who initially decided not to investigate. However, following aggrieved junior doctor Matt Kneale’s legal action against the GMC, they reopened Dr Malhotra’s fitness to practice case. Three years on he is still awaiting a decision. Again, there has not been a single complaint regarding his clinical practice.

In a speech at the 2025 Reform UK Annual Conference, Dr Malhotra highlighted a concerning rise in cancer in young patients since 2021 adding, controversially, “it is highly likely that the covid vaccines have been a significant factor in the cancers of members of the Royal Family”.  Within hours, Wes Streeting was quoted  “It is shockingly irresponsible for Nigel Farage to give a platform to these poisonous lies….Farage should apologise and sever all ties with this dangerous extremism”.

There is a wealth of published real-world data supporting Dr Malhotra’s concerns of a worrying recent increase in cancers. Many published papers detail multiple mechanisms by which mRNA vaccines could be a contributory cause, making this connection biologically plausible. It is deeply disturbing to hear a doctor raising patient safety concerns being described as “dangerous extremism”. The GMC must defend and uphold doctors’ right to freedom of speech and their professional duty to raise patient safety concerns.

Conflicts of interest and misinformation from Government sources

Doctors questioning Covid vaccine safety were vilified and punished for spreading ‘misinformation’. Yet high-profile doctors were allowed to mislead the public with the false claim that these products are ‘SAFE & EFFECTIVE’. The same marketing slogan used for thalidomide in the 1950s, which gave false reassurance to pregnant women and resulted in thousands of stillbirths and babies born with severe limb deformities. Following that scandal, the pharmaceutical industry was prohibited from using the phrase ‘Safe and Effective’. Yet during Covid, government ministers, journalists, media doctors and influencers used the phrase ‘Safe and Effective’ repeatedly, without supporting scientific evidence, to promote and push the novel, gene-based, Covid jabs.

We have identified serious conflicts of interest. Many doctors who promoted Covid jabs received funding from the pharmaceutical industry. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA), who approved the jabs and are responsible for safety monitoring, are 86% funded by the industry they are charged with regulating. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry made vast profits while indemnified by the taxpayer for resulting harm or death. Leaving the full risk of Covid vaccine harms (both financial and health) with the unsuspecting public, who were heavily coerced to take products which were neither safe nor necessary. 

We call upon you to:

• Investigate serious bias from the GMC and the MPTS
• Declare a moratorium on censorship within the NHS and uphold freedom of speech
• Ensure effective whistleblower protection is extended to national policy issues
• Exclude anyone with financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry or other conflicts of interest from senior decision-making roles

Yours sincerely

Dr Rosamond Jones, MBBS, DRCOG, MD, FRCPCH, retired Consultant Paediatrician, convenor Children’s Covid Vaccines Advisory Council, email address [email protected] 

Dr Clare Craig, BMBCh, FRCPath, Co-Chair, Health Advisory & Recovery Team, http://www.hartgroup.org

Dr Elizabeth Evans, MA, MBBS, DRCOG, CEO UK Medical Freedom Alliance, http://www.ukmedfreedom.org

Dr Ayiesha Malik, MBChB, MRCGP(2014), Director, Doctors for Patients UK, https://www.facebook.com/DoctorsForPatientsUK/

Professor Angus Dalgleish, MD, FRCP, FRACP, FRCPath, FMed Sci, Emeritus Professor of Oncology, City St Georges, University of London,  Principal, Institute for Cancer Vaccines & Immunotherapy

Professor Richard Ennos, MA, PhD. Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Edinburgh

Professor John Fairclough FRCS FFSEM retired Honorary Consultant Surgeon

Professor Paul Goddard, MBBS, MD,FRCR,FBIR, retired Professor of Radiology, University of the West of England

Professor David Paton, Professor of Industrial Economics, Nottingham University Business School

Professor David Livermore, BSc, PhD, Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of East Anglia

Professor Roger Watson, FRCP Edin, FRCN, FAAN, Honorary Professor of Nursing, University of Hull

Professor David Seedhouse, Professor of deliberative practice, Aston University

Dr Shiraz Akram, BDS, Dental surgeon

Dr Ancha Bala-Joof, BSc, MBChB, MRCGP, General Practitioner

Dr Andrew Bamji FRCP, retired Consultant Rheumatologist, President British Society for Rheumatology 2006-8

Dr Michael Bazlinton, MBCHB MRCGP DCH

Dr Mark A Bell, MBChB, MRCP(UK), FRCEM, Consultant in Emergency Medicine

Dr Michael D Bell, MBChB, MRCGP, retired General Practitioner

Dr Rajia Bibi, MBBS, General Practitioner

Dr David Bramble, MBChB, MRCPsych, MD, Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Gillian Breese, BSc, MB ChB, DFFP, DTM&H,retired  General Practitioner

Laura Brett, BSc Hons (Midewifery), former NHS midwife

Dr Ian Bridges, MBBS, Retired general practitioner

Dr Rachel Brown, MBChB, LLM, CFMP, MRCPsych

Mr John Bunni, MBChB (Hons), Dip Lap Surg, FRCS [ASGBI Medal], Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon

Dr Thomas Carnwath, MBBCh,MA, FRCPsych, FRCGP, consultant psychiatrist

Catherine Cassell, RGN, Practice Nurse

Dr Peter Chan, BM, MRCS, MRCGP, NLP, General Practitioner, Functional medicine practitioner

Mr Patrick Chong, MBBS (London) FRCS (Eng) FRCS (Gen Surg), Consultant Vascular Surgeon

James Cook, NHS Registered Nurse, Bachelor of Nursing (Hons), Master of Public Health (MPH)

Dr David Critchley, BSc(hons), PhD, Clinical Pharmacologist (retired)

Dr Christine Dewbury, MBBS, retired General Practitioner

Dr Keith Dewbury, MBBS, FRCR, retired Consultant Radiologist

Dr James Dyson, MRCS LRCP, MA, retired Medical Practitioner

Dr Jonathan Eastwood, BSc, MBChB, MRCGP, retired General Practitioner

Dr Jonathan Engler, MBChB, LlB (Hons), DipPharmMed

Dr Christopher Exley, PhD, FRSB, Bioinorganic Chemist

Dr John Flack, BPharm, PhD, Retired Director of Safety Evaluation, Beecham Pharmaceuticals and Senior Vice-president for Drug Discovery SmithKline Beecham

Dr Nick Flatt, BMSc(Hons), MBChB, FRCSEd, FRCA, FFPMRCA, retired Consultant Anaesthetist

Dr Charles Forsyth, MBBS, BSEM, retired Independent Medical Practitioner

Patricia C G Fraser, retired Principal Teacher

Dr Peter J Fraser,  FRIN, Emeritus Senior Lecturer

Dr Sheena Fraser, MBChB, MRCGP (2003), Dip BSLM, General Practitioner

Sophie Gidet, RM, Midwife

Dr Henry Goodall, MBBS, FFOM, retired Consultant Occupational Health Physician, President of the Society of Occupational Medicine, 2011-12

Cheryl Grainger, BSc, Pharma Training Consultant

Dr Cathy Greig, MBBCh(Hons), MRCGP, Functional Medicine Practitioner and past General Practitioner

Dr Catherine Hatton, MBChB, Medical Practitioner, resigned

Alex Hicks, MEng, MCIPS, Compliance Director (Supply Chain)

Dr Matthew Hicks, MBChB, NHS Specialty doctor

Dr Peter Hilton, BSc, MBBS, FRCA, retired Consultant Intensivist/Anaesthetist

Mr Anthony Hinton, MBChB, FRCS, Consultant ENT surgeon, London

Dr Renee Hoenderkampf, MBBS, MRCGP, DFSHRH, General Practitioner

Dr Richard House, PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS, CertCouns, Chartered Psychologist, former senior lecturer in Psychology (Roehampton) and Early Childhood (Winchester), retired psychotherapist

Eshani King, BSc (Hons) FCA CTA BFP – Evidence Based Research in Immunology and Health 

Dr Tanya Klymenko, PhD, FHEA, FIBMS, Senior lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

Dr Caroline Lapworth, MB ChB, General Practitioner

Dr Branko Latinkic, BSc, PhD, Molecular Biologist

Dr Felicity Lillingstone, IMD DHS PhD ANP, Doctor, Urgent Care, Research Fellow 

Dr Geoffrey Maidment, MBBS, DRCOG, MD, FRCP, retired consultant physician

Mr Ahmad K Malik, FRCS(Tr & Orth), Dip Med Sport, Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon, resigned, independent broadcaster.

Dr Kulvinder S Manik, MBChB, MRCGP (2010), MA(Cantab), LLM, Gray’s Inn

Dr Fiona Martindale, MbChB, MRCGP, GP in out of hours

Dr Samuel McBride, MBBCh, BAO, BSc, MSc, MRCP (UK) FRCEM, FRCP (Edinburgh), NHS Emergency Medicine & geriatrics

Kaira McCallum, BSc, retired pharmacist, Director of strategy UKMFA

Mr Ian McDermott, MBBS, MS, FRCS(Tr&Orth), FFSEM(UK), Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Dr Janet Menage, MA, MBChB, retired General Practitioner

Dr Alistair J Montgomery, MBChB, MRCGP, DRCOG, retired General Practitioner

Dr Alan Mordue, MBChB, FFPH. Retired Consultant in Public Health Medicine & Epidemiology

Margaret Moss, MA (Cantab), CBiol, MRSB, Director, The Nutrition and Allergy Clinic, Cheshire

Dr Greta Mushet, MBChB, MRCPsych, retired Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy

Dr Sarah Myhill, MBBS, Retired General Practitioner

Dr Chris Newton, PhD, Biochemist working in immuno-metabolism

Dr Rachel Nicoll, PhD, Medical researcher

Dr Richard J. O’Shea. MBBCh, BA(Hons) MRCGP, General Practitioner

Sue Parker Hall, CTA, MSc (Counselling & Supervision), MBACP, EMDR. Psychotherapist

Dr Christina Peers, MBBS, DRCOG, DFSRH, FFSRH, Naturopathic Holistic Practitioner

Rev Dr William J U Philip, MBChB, MRCP, BD, Senior Minister The Tron Church, Glasgow, formerly physician specialising in cardiology

Dr Gerry Quinn, PhD, Postdoctoral researcher in microbiology and immunology

Dr Tomasz Rajkowski, MD, PhD, MRCPCH, Consultant Paediatrician

Victoria Rixon, Midwife, resigned

Mr Angus Robertson, BSc(Med Sci), MBChB, FRCS(Ed), FFSEM(UK), Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Dr Jon Rogers, MBChB(Bristol), MRCGP, DRCOG, Retired NHS General Practitioner

Mr T James Royle, MBChB, FRCS(Ed), MMedEd, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

Dr Alison Sabine, MBChB, MRCP, Consultant Rheumatologist

Sorrel Scott, Grad Dip Phys, Specialist Physiotherapist in Neurology, 30 years in NHS

Dr Rohaan Seth, BSc(Hons), MBChB(Hons), MRCGP, General Practitioner

Dr Magdalena Stasiak-Horkan MBBS, MRCGP (2017), DCH, General Practitioner

Dr Christine Suppelt MD FRCS MFHom, Ophthalmic Surgeon & Specialist for Integrated Medicine

Dr Jasmine Thomas, MBBCh, NHS doctor

Dr Noel Thomas, MA, MBChB, DObsRCOG, DTM&H, MFHom, Retired Doctor

Dr Livia Tossici-Bolt, PhD, retired Clinical Scientist

Sarah Waters, BA (Hons), Dip Counselling & Therapy, MBACP, Psychotherapist, Therapeutic Parenting Practitioner

Dr Stefanie Williams, MD, Dermatologist

Dr Anne Wynne-Simmons, MBBS, MRCGP, General Practitioner, retired