Just as we are digesting the news that our judiciary don’t want any scurrilous hacks or members of parliament commenting on their decisions, or investigating stories, especially not when they are listening to the pleas of Doctors who wish to dispose of their patients in a far from humane manner – the GMC, with impeccable timing, issues a press release.

In future, when Doctors despatch a patient prematurely whilst singing Rule Britannia and smoking a hookah pipe, or stitch the patient’s left arm onto someone else’s right leg, or are simply stark raving bonkers – the GMC don’t want the media to be able to report these allegations!

Who are we to know the reputation of the person to whom we entrust our body or mind? At the moment you can listen to these allegations, supported by witnesses, and even if, through some technicality, the Doctor is allowed to continue to practise, make your own decision as to whether to switch to another Doctor pronto.

Over the past ten years, the number of days on which the GMC have been forced to hold hearings has risen from 333 to 3,493 – that is now an average of one Doctor per working day whose patient has been forced to go through the onerous proceedings known as ‘making a complaint’.

The GMC believe that this “may give the false impression that a large proportion of doctors behave inappropriately”. It is, they say ‘too stressful’ for the Doctors.

So they are lobbying to be allowed to hold their hearings behind closed doors, presided over by other Doctors, and only announce the verdict, if the complaint is upheld, on the GMC web site.

Even the Newspaper Society has woken from its lengthy slumber and announced:

“Any publication on the [GMC] website describing the sanction accepted, description of issues put to the doctor and mitigation, supported by evidence taken into account, will be crafted by the GMC, not an independent account by independent, disinterested members of the public or the press who attended the proceedings and observed these in full.”

The onus is on the blogosphere more than ever to report facts from a local level and local knowledge, and get information out there in a responsible manner. The judiciary, the medical profession, and other bodies who hide behind a thin veneer of respectable ‘officialdom’ may succeed in muzzling the main stream media, but they will never silence the blogosphere.

Dr Rita Pal May 4, 2011 at 14:39

I am glad you are getting over your chicken wings Anna. Never seen so much
fuss made out of someone helping themselves to chicken.

As for the GMC, you have much to learn my dear.

Best

Rita

Dr No April 22, 2011 at 14:31

Anna – this is somewhat scurrilous to say the least. Dr No’s full response
is here.

PT April 23, 2011 at 12:49

OOOOOOOOerrr! Is there a doctor in the house?

PT April 21, 2011 at 09:18

All professions, corporations, news corporations, political parties – in
fact all organisations – have rank structures. The one thing that unites all
these ranks is their readiness to close.

Eleanor April 21, 2011 at 05:54

Not a problem for me. I wouldn’t be seen dead anywhere near a Doctor.

PT April 23, 2011 at 12:47

Unfortunately, that’s one of those times when you don’t get a choice –
and yes, you would be.

john malpas April 21, 2011 at 01:53

what of false accusations – would you encourage the swarming lawyers their
go at cash?
“Other victims” or the righteous wrong.

SadButMadLad
April 20, 2011 at 19:34

What’s the difference between this and anonyminity for rape suspects. Isn’t
everyone entitled to be have some privacy until they are found guilty.
Otherwise you get loads of “no smoke without fire” issues.

At the very least the numbers of cases needs to be published so that when
cases do lead to a conviction you can work out the numbers who are not found
guilty. That way you don’t get too carried away with having every case as a
not guilty result, but it does allow people to see the results to work out if
there is a problem with increasing number of guilty people or too many not
guilty.

Anna
Raccoon April 20, 2011 at 19:51

Anonymity doesn’t prevent the press from publishing details of the
accusations – which means that other victims may come forward.

What the GMC is suggesting would mean that you would never hear of the
accusations unless there was a proven case – and an unproven case doesn’t
mean that nothing has occurred, it just means that the facts didn’t pass the
legal definition of the crime.

SadButMadLad
April 21, 2011 at 10:49

That victims will come forward is the same arguement used with rape
cases. They can still come forward after the person is convicted and the
criminal can be convicted of the other crimes.

I’m not saying that the press can’t publish anonymised reports (pretty
much what they are doing with the current injunctions) which I would
prefer rather than the some body being judge and jury of it’s own
members.

What I am saying is that publishing all cases (non-anonymised) even if
people are found not guilty (and in the GMC’s case is the legal definition
the same as it’s more a disciplinary type hearing) does mean that sometime
innocent people can be labelled as guilty by association which might harm
their work or personal life.

The fact that the burden of proof was not enough to convict them is not
a problem with the process but a problem with the lawyers and the
arguments used and/or the jury (or judge’s) decision.

Livewire April 20, 2011 at 18:07

Sorry, bit laddish this one.

There once was a doddering doc
To his surgery many did flock
But they
ended in ground
With his knowledge unsound
He couldn’t tell c**t from a
cock

Lorenzo
April 20, 2011 at 18:34

Switched on as usual is our Livewire, definately a 3 phase shocker that
one!

Anna
Raccoon April 20, 2011 at 19:36

If only we could get Livewire to switch on Dim Glo…..aka Gloria!

Blowna
Ffuse April 20, 2011 at 20:34

Current affairs. I just switch off.

Engineer
April 20, 2011 at 21:06

Well if you’re going to be like that, we might as well all go
ohm.

Gloria
Smudd April 20, 2011 at 21:15

That Hertz.

Engineer
April 20, 2011 at 21:22

Watt’s the problem?

Gloria
Smudd April 20, 2011 at 22:02

Wire? You worried?

Gloria
Smudd April 20, 2011 at 22:06

Anyway, I’m un-pluggin’ me curlers now, shoving me teeth into an
overnight soak and draggin’ down me nightie as a deterrent ‘gainst Ol’
Smuddy’s attentions this evening. I’ve been away for a few days and
experience tells me to expect ardent attention after 10.pm. Wish me
luck. Night all.

Gloria Smudd
April 20, 2011 at 20:45

If you have the dropsy or plague
Or symptoms sim-il-arly
vague
Waddle off to the doc’s
With clean pants and socks
And he’ll
tell you what you should tague

For your ailment, your cough or your sweat
Which leaves bedding so
terribly wet;
You might need colonic
It it’s The Bubonic:
If it is,
take all you can get.

Gloria Smudd
April 20, 2011 at 21:08

Once again The Curse of Smudd hits Raccoon Towers. Nothing here now but
tumbleweed drifting by, zig-zagging over the dust at the whim of the
(unseasonably) balmy April breeze and a couple of creaky saloon-doors
swinging on never-oiled hinges.

Ah. ‘Twas ever thus.

Livewire
April 21, 2011 at 06:58

Yersinia Pestis once roamed
When rats took a shine to your
home
But Fleming’s chance find
With Big Pharma so kind
Says
“take this you bugs, that’ll show-em”

Michael
Fowke April 20, 2011 at 16:31

Great news for the blogosphere. All the MSM will have soon is the X
Factor

lenko April 20, 2011 at 15:10

Thin end of a fairly thick wedge, I would have thought. As a professional
myself (accountant), I have lagged one step behind best practice for years,
and they still haven’t found out how incompetant I am.

So it won’t be long before solicitors, estate agents, vets, etc etc, go the
same way. Grocers too, maybe. Who knows where it will end?

Gildas theMonk
April 20, 2011 at 14:35

A agree with the article and the comment above

Gildas the Monk
April 20, 2011 at 14:37

I, even. Can’t multitask

An
Alien April 20, 2011 at 14:13

Apart from the other day the last time I read your blog you were about to
destroy your archive, and being asked not to. I am really pleased to see you
back, and on full form.