Thursday 23 February 2012

Racial discrimination by General Medical Council against Fitness to Practise Panellists

General Medical Council (GMC) is a charity that regulates registered medical practitioners in UK. They have invested a lot of money into looking at themselves: racial/ethnical issues and other relevant bits are audited, researched and the results of some of these are published.
What happens after these papers exercises?
It would appear more of the same. GMC refused to investigate racists doctors when submissions were made to them contrary to Good Medical Practice which all doctors are obliged to follow. Doctors can be registered with GMC and, for example, design as many racist policies as they like in their administrative functions but GMC would defend them by passively standing by and doing nothing.
In 2011 GMC appointed about 83 new Fitness To Practice Panelists: 45 lay members (not medical doctors) and 39 medical doctors. Members of ethnic community did apply in good numbers. Lay members and doctors who are members of ethnic minorities had much reduced chances of being selected.
Lay applicants (ethnic minority) were 9% of all applicants but only 4% were selected (rounded numbers).
Doctor applicants (ethnic minority) were 35% of all applicants but only 13% were selected (rounded numbers).
Can we conclude something from these figures? I think so. Lay ethnic applicants are seen it seems as a bit less of a threat than doctors, but not enough. Although, they had a higher chance of being appointed than doctors their numbers remained below expectations.
The sad fate is not over once appointed. GMC has many tricks up their sleeve. One of these is to deny panelists the evidence on which they would be judging a doctor appearing before them. Essentially, they will be set up to fail in their duties. In the case of Dr Helen Bright FTP Review panel which had the majority ethnic members (two out of three panelists were ethnic minority members) was advised by GMCs barrister not to see the evidence of hundreds of pages previously agreed and admitted by the previous FTP review panel. This was in breach of Article 10 of European Convention on Human Rights. But money talks and panelists are paid by GMC and medical members regulated by GMC.
If interested in conceited quotes click HERE.
For more cartoons if you like the one above click on it as it comes from Directory of Social Change.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So maximum filtering of the unwanted aliens happened at the final stage.
Reasons? Why does GMC not make public statements? Who is it accountable to?
Not to the subscribers ( doctors )
Not to general public
Not to the Judiciary
But only to the Parliament ( But they r too busy )
Who will bell the cat?

Doctors4Justice said...

Where is your mirror? Have a look at your self. Maybe, it is you who will do it. Here is a poem for your inspiration:

Inner Power

Depend on your inner power
And know that life's tower
Stands on your courage and strength
So try to go deep and far in lengths
And know your troubles and needs
Are like growing and spouting seeds
That need lots of love and care
And strong belief's fair layer
And try to bring happiness ray
ato lonely and sad if you may
With the help of passion and joy
For that'll bring you reason to enjoy
Your own life and your life's days
In many different ways.


Seema Chowdhury