another arm of the witch hunt against honest and ethical doctors
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 Judge Deborah Taylor, CEO, Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS)
Cc: Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, Chair, General Medical Council (GMC)
Dear Judge Taylor,
This letter comes to you from a large group of concerned doctors and others, regarding what appears to be a concerted attack on those questioning and speaking out about the Covid-19 vaccines. We have been in correspondence with Dame Carrie MacEwen and have attached our letters to her and her replies. Much of the discussion we have had with her, is also highly relevant to the function of the MPTS.
We first wrote to the GMC in 2021, to express our concerns about doctors being pressured to advocate for Covid-19 vaccines in situations where proper individualised informed consent was almost impossible. We published our letter and the very helpful reply which confirmed our understanding of GMC guidance on Decision making and consent. In addition to trying to give full information to our patients, we have also published our safety concerns in the public domain, as part of Good Medical Practice requirements to speak out if seeing harm to patients. We have taken up all our concerns with the MHRA, the JCVI and now four Prime Ministers.
We have also written letters in support of several doctors who were reported to the GMC regarding their use of social media to highlight Covid-19 vaccine harms, resulting in fitness to practise investigations based on damaging ‘public confidence in the profession’. This includes some who have been struck off, others who have had investigations spread over years and yet others who have lost their jobs. Disturbingly, we are also aware of doctors who have been referred to occupational health services because their refusal to endorse government guidelines was construed as a sign of mental illness. A group of over 50 senior doctors and academics were referred in June 2021 by the Department of Health and Social Care to the Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) following a fully referenced letter questioning Covid vaccines for children. Far from bringing the profession into disrepute, many of these doctors have received overwhelming gratitude from the vaccine injured.
In the wake of the contaminated blood scandal, we welcomed Professor MacEwen’s robust statement on the importance of protecting whistleblowers. As she said, “There is extensive commentary within the report about the importance of speaking up about both mistakes and near misses and a cautionary note about the need to protect those who do so from detriment to their career.” She was also quoted as saying, “We are of course aware that referrals to us are sometimes used to intimidate. This is completely unacceptable, has significant consequences for doctors’ wellbeing and puts the safety of patients at risk.” “We’ve put a number of safeguards in place” and she committed to assessing “whether further interventions are needed to prevent retaliatory or weaponised referrals.”
One doctor who been under investigation by the GMC for over 2 years, with a catastrophic impact on his ability to obtain a job and hence his financial security, has received death threats on Twitter from an ex-colleague but neither the GMC nor the police thought this worthy of investigation.
We have read Twitter posts by detractors discussing which doctor they will target next and what good sport it will be. We have several other extremely worrying examples of the hounding which is going on, for any doctors who are questioning the safety of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines.
We would also point out that it is often due to the very lack of interest doctors receive when expressing concerns through the official channels, that they resort to social media. For example, one doctor approached their local NHS whistleblowing department with her concerns about the vaccine harms she was witnessing in her patient group, but her concerns were never addressed, and further emails received no reply.
The recent case of GMC versus Dr Sam White illustrates the problems we have outlined. The charge against Dr White concerned 5 video interviews about the pandemic which he had recorded between June 2021 and July 2022, and the hearing hinged around interpretation of the Human Rights Act 1998. There was not a single clinical complaint against him.
During the hearing, the Tribunal chair quoted the judgement from Adil v GMC [2023] EWCA Civ 126. “The Court held that the fact that a doctor expresses a minority view, even a view shared by a small minority is not sufficient of itself to render his conduct improper. Medical progress depends upon such debate and is littered with examples of what were thought to be heretical views becoming accepted wisdom, and vice-versa. Article 10 and the common law protect the right to express views with which most people disagree. Views contrary to widely accepted medical opinion are not sufficient to establish misconduct….This does not apply to views so far removed from any concept of legitimate medical debate and must be considered on the facts of each individual case….There is an important qualitative difference between a doctor’s views which have some supporting scientific basis, even if not widely accepted, and views whose validity or accuracy is unconnected to any supporting evidential basis, in other words baseless.”
It was concerning that since Dr White did not attend and was not represented, the Tribunal appeared to assume that his views were ‘baseless’, whereas in fact they are shared by a significant minority of doctors who have assembled a huge amount of scientific literature on vaccine harms. However, the judgement in quoting from the offending interviews barely mentioned Dr White’s criticisms of the vaccine, for all of which he had provided many references to the GMC in 2021. It has instead focussed almost entirely on discussions about the ‘why’ of the vaccine rollout and the censorship, quoting Dr White speaking of: ‘evil’, ‘planned’, ‘globalists’, ‘tyranny’, ‘totalitarianism’, et cetera. These, of course, are all issues which are widely discussed but are not subject to testing and writing up in peer-reviewed journals. They are a matter of opinion. The question of whether Dr White’s opinions in any way harmed public health was not demonstrated by the GMC, yet the Tribunal “determined that, it was more likely than not, such comments undermined public confidence in the medical profession.”
Moreover, the rules for deciding on a penalty are that the Tribunal must consider whether the doctor poses a risk to future patients rather than only past. Given the government messaging with which Dr White disagreed all came to an end during 2022, it is hard to see what harm he is thought to be causing in 2024, two years after his last video interview. Indeed, he had dropped his licence to practice 3 years ago and is now working in naturopathic medicine. It would appear that the erasure of Dr White from the register on the basis of “Sanctioning doctors for comments likely to undermine public health and confidence in the medical profession” was aimed entirely, “to deter such behaviour engages the aim of the protection of public health and safety.”
Dr White’s case is just one of a series of cases against doctors who have spoken out against the safety record of the covid-19 vaccines. These cases all hinge on social media output without any serious complaints about direct patient care. You may not be aware that there is now an enormous body of evidence regarding serious harms arising from the DNA- and mRNA-based vaccines. The medical profession as a whole has been slow to highlight these risks to their patients and the doctors facing criticism from the GMC have spoken out bravely and repeatedly. Where they have raised concerns through the standard channels, these have largely been ignored.
In our recent letter to Professor MacEwen, we reminded her that she had “also seen investigative media reports alleging that a number of NHS managers have taken actions to silence whistleblowers, including threatening referral to the GMC.” One such report came from the Telegraph (15th May 2024), under the title “The four-step ‘playbook’ the NHS uses to break whistleblowers”. A recent BMA survey showed that the proportion of doctors being discouraged from or even afraid of speaking out has risen significantly between 2018 and 2024, to the point where 61% of those polled in 2024 said they may not raise concerns because they were “afraid” they or colleagues could be “unfairly blamed or suffer adverse consequences”.
Medical censorship, whether externally enforced by social media platforms, by GMC investigations or by NHS managers, or whether self-inflicted as suggested by the BMA poll, lead to the same end result – a failure to properly investigate harms or advocate for patient choice or even patient safety.
Our questions to you are:
● What duty does the MPTS have to ensure it looks at the body of evidence supporting the opinion expressed by the defendant – ie how does a Tribunal determine that the doctor’s comments are a “risk to public health” or conversely that the doctor may be acting to try and promote public health and patient safety?
● If the tribunal determines that a doctor’s actions are a risk to public health, then how does it ensure its sanctions are proportionate to the actual risk to patients? Given the output from an individual doctor will be just a drop in the ocean compared to the enormous output on social media which is critical of the public health measures taken by governments worldwide, it is hard to see that erasure or even a suspension thus precluding the doctor from continuing in employment could be deemed to be ‘proportionate’? Surely the GMC should be expected to provide some evidence that public health has indeed been harmed by the actions of the individual doctor being assessed.
● How do you define what will reduce public confidence in the medical profession? If there is no clear definition, how can doctors ensure they comply with the requirement to highlight harms to patients and yet not find they have fallen foul of this very vague rule? Most of the doctors speaking out are being praised and thanked by the public for their honesty, integrity and bravery, especially by the vaccine-injured, many of whom have been ignored by their medical attendants.
The current situation of self-censorship amongst doctors risks serious ongoing harms to patients and must not continue.
Yours sincerely
Dr Rosamond Jones, [email protected], retired consultant paediatrician, convenor Children’s Covid Vaccines Advisory Council
Dr Ayiesha Malik, General Practitioner, co-founder, Doctors for Patients UK
Dr Clare Craig, diagnostic pathologist, co-chair, Health Advisory and Recovery Team
Dr Elizabeth Evans, retired doctor, CEO, UK Medical Freedom Alliance
Professor Angus Dalgleish, MD, FRCP, FRACP, FRCPath, FMedSci, Emeritus Professor of Oncology, University of London; Principal, Institute for Cancer Vaccines & Immunotherapy
Professor Anthony J Brookes, Professor of Genomics and Health Data Science, University of Leicester
Professor David Livermore, BSc, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of East Anglia
Professor John A Fairclough, BM BS, BMedSci, FRCS, FFSEM(UK), Professor Emeritus, Honorary Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Professor Karol Sikora, MA, MBBChir, PhD, FRCR, FRCP, FFPM, Professor of Oncology and Medical Director, Cancer Partners International
Professor Martin Neil, BSc PhD, Professor of Computer Science and Statistics
Professor Roger Watson, FRCP Edin, FRCN, FAAN, Honorary Professor of Nursing, University of Hull
Lord Moonie, MBChB, MRCPsych, MFCM, MSc, retired member of House of Lords, former Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State 2001-2003, former Consultant in Public Health Medicine
Dr Alan Mordue, MBChB, FFPH, retired Consultant in Public Health Medicine & Epidemiology
Dr Ali Ajaz, Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr Alison Sabine, MBChB, MRCP, Consultant Rheumatologist
Dr Ancha Bala Joof, MBChB, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Angela Musso, MD, MRCGP, DRCOG, FRACGP, MFPC, General Practitioner
Dr Abby Astle, MBBChir, BA(Cantab), DCH, DGM, MRCGP, GP Principal, GP Trainer, GP Examiner
Dr Alistair J Montgomery, MBChB, MRCGP, DRCOG, retired General Practitioner
Dr Ali Haggett, PhD, Mental health community work, former lecturer in the history of medicine
Dr Bob Gill, MBChB, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Branko Latinkic, BSc, PhD, Reader in Biosciences
Dr Carmen Wheatley, DPhil, Orthomolecular Oncology
Dr Caroline Lapworth, MBChB, General Practitioner
Dr Cathy Greig, MBChB (hons), General Practitioner
Dr Charles Forsyth, MBBS, FFHom, retired Integrative and Ecological Medicine Doctor
Dr Chris Newton, PhD, Biochemist working in immuno-metabolism
Dr Christopher Exley, PhD, FRSB, Bioinoganic Chemist
Dr Christina Peers, MBBS, DRCOG, DFSRH, FFSRH, General Practitioner and Menopause Specialist
Dr Christine Dewbury, MBBS, retired General Practitioner
Dr Cordelia Phelan, Consultant Pathologist
Dr David Bell, MBBS, PhD, FRCP(UK), Public Health Physician
Dr David Cartland, MBChB, BMedSci, General Practitioner
Dr David Critchley, BSc, PhD, Clinical Pharmacologist, Children’s Covid Vaccines Advisory Council
Dr Dean Patterson, MBChB, FRCP, Consultant Cardiologist and General Physician
Dr Elizabeth Burton, MBChB, retired General Practitioner
Dr Emma Brierly, MBBS, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Fatou Mbow, MD(Italy), MRCGP, DFFP, General Practitioner
Dr Felicity Lillingston, IMD DHS PhD ANP, Doctor, Urgent Care, Research Fellow
Dr Fiona Martindale, MBChB, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Geoffrey Maidment, MD, FRCP, retired Consultant Physician
Dr Gerry Quinn, PhD. Postdoctoral researcher in microbiology and immunology
Dr Gillian Breese, BSc, MB ChB, DFFP, DTM&H, General Practitioner
Dr Greta Mushet, MBChB, MRCPsych, retired Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy
Dr Helen Westwood, MBChB, MRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, General Practitioner
Dr Ian Bridges, MBBS, retired General Practitioner
Dr Janet Menage, MA, MBChB, retired General Practitioner
Dr Jayne LM Donegan, MBBS, DRCOG, DCH, DFFP, MRCGP, Naturopathic Practitioner
Dr Jenny Goodman, MA, MBChB, Ecological Medicine
Dr Jessica Robinson, BSc(Hons), MBBS, MRCPsych, MFHom, Integrative Medicine Doctor
Dr John Flack, BPharm, PhD, Retired Director of Safety Evaluation, Beecham Pharmaceuticals and Senior Vice-president for Drug Discovery SmithKline Beecham
Dr Jon Rogers, MBChB(Bristol), MRCGP, DRCOG, Retired NHS General Practitioner
Dr Jonathan Eastwood, BSc, MBChB, MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Jonathan Engler, MBChB, LlB (Hons), DipPharmMed
Dr Keith Dewbury, MBBS, FRCR, retired Consultant Radiologist
Dr Keith Johnson, BA, DPhil (Oxon), IP Consultant for Diagnostic Testing
Dr Livia Tossici-Bolt, PhD, retired Clinical Scientist
Dr Lucie Wilk, MD, MRCP, Rheumatologist
Dr Magdalena Stasiak-Horkan, MBBS, DCH, MRCGP (2003-2017), General Practitioner
Dr Marco Chiesa, MD, FRCPsych, Consultant Psychiatrist, Visiting Professor
Dr Mark A Bell, MBChB, MRCP(UK), FRCEM, Consultant in Emergency Medicine
Dr Matthew Dennison, MBBS, MRCGP, Dip IBLM, General Practitioner
Dr Michael Bazlinton, MBChB, MRCGP, DCH, General Practitioner
Dr Michael D Bell, MBChB, MRCGP, retired General Practitioner
Dr Nick Flatt, BMSc(Hons), MBChB, FRCSEd, FRCA, FFPMRCA, retired Consultant Anaesthetist
Dr Noel Thomas, MA, MBChB, DObsRCOG, DTM&H, MFHom, Retired Doctor
Dr Peter Chan, BM, MRCS, MRCGP, NLP, General Practitioner, Functional medicine practitioner
Dr Rachel Nicoll, PhD, Medical researcher
Dr Renée Hoenderkamp, MBBS, General Practitioner
Dr Richard House, PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS, CertCouns, Chartered Psychologist, former senior lecturer in Psychology and in Early Childhood, retired psychotherapist
Dr Richard J O’Shea, MBBCh, BA(Hons), MRCGP, General Practitioner
Dr Rohaan Seth, BSc(hons), MBChB (hons), MRCGP, Retired General Practitioner
Dr Roland Salmon, MBBS, MRCGP, FFPH, Former Director, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre Wales
Dr Salmaan Saleem, MBBS, BMedSci, RCGP(2019), co-founder Doctors for Patients UK
Dr Samuel White, MBChB, MRCGP, Functional Medicine Specialist, former General Practitioner
Dr Sarah Myhill, MBBS, Dip NM, retired GP, Independent Naturopathic Physician, UKMFA Director of Medical Ethics
Dr Scott McLachlan, Lecturer in Digital Technologies for Healthcare, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King’s College London
Dr Scott Mitchell, MBChB, MRCS, Associate Specialist, Emergency Medicine
Dr Stefanie Williams, MD, Dermatologist
Dr S McBride, BSc(Hons) Medical Microbiology & Immunobiology, MBBCh BAO, MSc in Clinical Gerontology,MRCP(UK), FRCEM(2002), FRCP(Edinburgh), NHS Emergency Medicine & geriatrics
Dr Tanya Klymenko, PhD, FHEA, FIBMS, Senior lecturer in Biomedical Sciences
Dr Thomas Carnwath, MBBCh,MA, FRCPsych, FRCGP, consultant psychiatristDr Timothy Kelly, MBBCh, BSc, NHS doctor and Systems Analyst
Dr Timothy Kelly, MBBCh, BSc, NHS doctor and
Angela Chamberlain, Bsc (Hons), Midwife
Alex Hicks, MEng, MCIPS, Compliance Director (Supply Chain)
Gayle Gerry, BSc(Hons), RGN, NHS Registered Nurse
Helen Auburn, Dip ION, MBANT, CNHC, Registered Nutritional Therapist
James Cook, Bachelor of Nursing (Hons), Master of Public Health (MPH), NHS Registered Nurse
Julie Annakin, RN, Immunisation Specialist Nurse
Kaira McCallum, BSc, retired pharmacist, Director of strategy UKMFA
Katherine MacGilchrist, BSc(Hons), MSc, retired CEO/Systematic Review Director, Epidemica Ltd
Marco Tullio Suadoni, RN, BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing, MSc, Specialist Palliative Care Lead
Mr Angus Robertson, BSc (Med Sci), MBChB, FRCS(Ed), FFSEM(UK), Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Mr David Halpin, MB BS, FRCS , Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, retired
Mr Ian F Comaish, MA, BM BCh, FRCOphth, FRANZCO, Consultant Ophthalmologist
Mr Ian McDermott, MB BS, MS, FRCS (Tr & Orth), FFSEM (UK), Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon | London Sports Orthopaedics, Honorary Professor Associate | Brunel University
Mr John Bunni, MBChB (Hons), Dip Lap Surg, FRCS [ASGBI Medal], Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon
Mr T James Royle, MBChB, FRCS, MMedEd, Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon
Natalie Stephenson, Audiologist
Sarah Waters, BA (Hons), Dip Counselling & Therapy, MBACP, Psychotherapist, Therapeutic Parenting Practitioner
Sophie Gidet, RM,DTN, Midwife
Sorrel Scott, Physiotherapist
Sue Parker Hall, CTA, MSc (Counselling & Supervision), MBACP, EMDR, Psychotherapist
Tim Nike, BSc (Hons), MCSP, HCPC, Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist
Rev Dr William J U Philip, MBChB, MRCP, BD, Senior Minister The Tron Church, Glasgow, formerly physician specialising in cardiology
