Dr Gordon Skinner

"I learned that to humiliate another person is to make him suffer an unnecessarily cruel fate " Nelson Mandela

 

Dr Gordon Skinner has died from a stroke, Doctors4Justice has been informed just now. He fought to increase the standards of treatment for patients in UK who have clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism but according to British Standard range for thyroid blood levels were considered normal in them. Please, click on his photograph above to read more about Dr Skinner's work. It is known that different countries have different standards, and of course, different standards of well being.
For about 11 years he had various General Medical Council disciplinary hearings because GMC could not cope with his reasoning. Disciplinary hearings are felt as a huge public humiliation. Such stress is known to be associated with the higher risk of dying from myocardial infarction, and strokes.Read HERE about Humiliation its nature and its consequences.


Results of search on: 28 Nov 2013 at 20:04:30. The details shown are valid at the date and time of the search only. (well , they are not, Dr Skinner has died)
GMC Reference Number 0726922
Given Names Gordon Robert Bruce
Surname Skinner
Gender Man
Primary Medical Qualification MB ChB 1965 University of Glasgow
Status Registered with a licence to practise; this doctor is on the Specialist Register
This doctor has conditions
Conditions on the doctor's registration
From To Condition
23 Nov 2013 23 Jul 2014
1. He must notify the GMC promptly of any professional
appointment he accepts for which registration with the GMC is
required and provide the contact details of his employer.
Details
2. He must allow the GMC to exchange information with any
employer he may have or any contracting body for which he
provides medical services.
3. He must inform the GMC of any formal disciplinary proceedings
taken against him, from the date of this determination.
4. He must inform the GMC if he applies for medical employment
outside the UK.
5. a. His clinical work in relation to prescribing of thyroid
replacement therapy must be supervised by a named Consultant
Endocrinologist. This means that his day to day work must be
supervised by this consultant who may be off site but must be
available to be called if necessary. However, as a minimum, his
work must be reviewed at least once a fortnight by the
supervising consultant. This review should include regular case
based discussions, with reference to his logbook. This logbook
may additionally be provided in an electronic format agreed with
his supervisor. b. He must seek a report from his supervisor for
consideration by this Panel, prior to any review hearing of this
Panel.
6. In any patient with normal thyroid function test results and
with a history of cardiac disease, he should not initiate treatment
with Thyroxine without first having an opinion from the patient’s
cardiologist or GP, which should be recorded in his logbook.
7. He must keep a contemporaneous logbook of all patients for
whom he prescribes or recommends thyroid replacement
therapy. This book must identify the patient only by their initials
and NHS number together with the name and contact number of
the referring practitioner, and should be initialled and dated by
the patient. a. The logbook he keeps must indicate: i. The reason
for the prescription of thyroid replacement treatment; ii. The
most recent thyroid blood test results, dated, regardless of
whether or not the blood test was carried out by a general
practitioner or himself; and iii. The dose he has prescribed or
recommended of thyroid replacement treatment. b. This logbook
must be available for consideration by this Panel, prior to any
review hearing of this Panel. In addition, any electronic version of
the logbook should be available to the Panel.
8. He must inform the following parties that his registration is
subject to the conditions, listed at (1) to (7), above: a. Any
organisation or person employing or contracting with him to
undertake medical work b. Any locum agency he is registered
with or applies to be registered with (at the time of application) c.
Any prospective employer or contracting body (at the time of
application).

He would have found the above conditions unbearable and hugely damaging to him.

He will be missed much by his family and his patients who depended on him for their treatment. We were thought at medical school that we treat the patient not the blood test.

Petition for Confidential Inquiry into deaths of doctors subject to investigations by The General Medical Council in UK

The petition to Ministry of Justice asking for Confidential Inquiry into deaths of 100 doctors who died while investigated by the GMC has now closed with 2109 signatures most of these from doctors, presumably.

End of Life Monitoring and Assessment

Click on the image to read about ELMA, improving efectivness in care at the end of life.

English judges grip the fence

For some time now it has been recognized that British courts are biased when it comes to religion. Therefore, one perceives failure to be independent, and act in accordance with the law which presumably, demands fairness, truth and justice.

The most recent exposure of judges attendance at Westminster Abbey service at least once a year is just one example of how not to do public relations. While it may pain some judges to attend irrational ceremony or amuse others the impression one gets is that of judicial conformity beyond the necessity. It certainly is not impressive to see judges praying for anything and especially, not for the divine guidance. Do they not see that? Very embarrassing for the judiciary. Also it looks very oppressive for the state to treat the judges in this way.

Photograph from Guardian, click on it to read the article by Joshua Rosenberg

There is nothing to stop the judges from saying a little "No" to this outdated tradition. So, why not put that on their agenda?

If the judiciary feel the need for a bit of ceremony and socializing at the start of each legal term there are professional performing circus artists, stand up comedians, party organizers, massage therapists, anxiety management therapists, sport competitions (swimming is good as are martial arts), leadership courses, meditation classes, musicians, dancers and numerous entertainment venues.

Click here to watch an innocent dance by a Pakistani judge on UTube. He resigned after it. We do not know if it was to take up some dancing lessons. 

Here are some costumes for the judge. There are countries like Greece and Norway where judges wear business suit. Yeah, why not look smart in Armani or whatever suits you. Fashion and dignity.

Interestingly, Serbian Judges Association started with a slogan: "I do not agree"

Judge Murphy and the veil

Photo from Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2400844/Judge-orders-Muslim-woman-remove-burkha-court-appearance-bans-entering-plea-refuses.html

For sometime now UK has failed to ensure social justice when it comes to religious expression. Many professionals are obstructed in their attempt to do their job properly because of the bias towards religious expression.

Recently, Judge Murphy in London had difficulty with a witness who covered her face with a veil on religious grounds. This posed a problem of identification but also a problem in the exercise of the professional duty as a judge. It is an accepted legal practice that facial expressions, tone of voice and mannerism of witnesses do matter in courts.

Whatever Judge Murphy decides with respect to the wearing of  the said veil there could be objections: if he permits the veil there could be objections to that as other witnesses are judged on their verbal expressions, tone of voice, mannerisms. 

If he allowed witness to be screened from public view while without veil then he risks public hearing not being what many may expect it to be. Public present in court would want to see the witness too. It is not mere curiosity. Public also look at facial expressions, mannerisms, listen to tone of voice of witnesses. Similarly, those judging them are observed. How can one judge a judge's decision making or questioning when one does not really know what behaviour of witness he/she may be reacting to?

This mess can be solved politically, but UK is unlike France which published secular charter in all schools and is a secular state.

Judges have suffered in other European countries too, for example, an Italian judge Luigi Tosti in his attempt to remove cricifix from the courtroom. 

Here is Luigi Tosti's blog.

DOCTORS4JUSTICE: Foreign doctors and language skills

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/54034DOCTORS4JUSTICE: Foreign doctors and language skills

Foreign doctors and language skills

The situation in the UK (United Kingdom) is not good. More than 100 doctors died while investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC), the regulator of medical profession. Tens of thousands of patients died in NHS (National Health Service) hospitals unnecessarily and yet there are many regulators in healthcare.

For some time GMC expressed their view that they need new legislation to allow them to test foreign medical graduates' language skills. The facts are that such legislation is not required. European countries ask foreign graduates to provide certificates of proficiency in the language. Germany does and so do other European countries.

Is there such a thing as Cambridge University in the UK? Do they know about English Proficiency teaching and certification? Of course, of course, but power games and manipulation has been the problem in regulation of medical profession for some time.

 

Hunt stands up for equality

Rt. Hon. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has made a stand for equality by raising questions about CPS decision not to prosecute two doctors found to be performing abortions based on sex only which is illegal. Telegraph carried out investigations. It is not clear why CPS considered it not to be in the public interest to prosecute.

 GMC does not always prosecute doctors who break the law, and allows corrupted individuals, for example, to remain on the medical register. 

Since 2004 over 100 doctors died while investigated by the General Medical Council. The reasons remain unclear and D4J is asking for confidential enquiry why this happened.

Click on the photograph from BBC website to read their report.

Stop the badger cull or Stop the doctor "cull"

The e-petition Stop the badger cull is doing very well, indeed, and has secured more than enough votes to lead to a debate in the House of Commons.
Meanwhile the Petition for Confidential Enquiry into deaths of hundred doctors who died while investigated by the General Medical Council is proceeding at a much slower pace. That is England for you at the moment.
To sign the Petition demanding Confidential Enquiry into deaths of 100 doctors who died while investigated by the General Medical Council CLICK HERE.

Day 7: Petition for Confidential Enquiry into deaths of 100 doctors while investigated by the General Medical Council

On day 7 we have 286 signatures by 10 pm.

At least 60 more people have been emailed today about this Petition

What matters now is that those who signed the petition ask/forward email with link  to petition to as many of their contacts as possible for them to sign the petition and forward on .

We can see that not all of those who signed the petition have done it.

 Our message is: have the courage of your convictions. Do ask other people to sign your petition.

MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN DOCTORS VISITED BY MEDICAL MISFORTUNE by Dr M. Donnelly

 MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN DOCTORS VISITED BY MEDICAL MISFORTUNE.

The purpose of this paper is to raise further concerns about medical practitioners visited by medical misfortune.

The paper describes how social medicine focuses on the social determinants of health but it rarely focuses on the social determinants of the health of medical practitioners who may be visited by ill health or medical misfortune leading to disciplinary processes and ill health.

There is little written formally about the epidemiology of medical misfortune but we know that it may occur unexpectedly challenging the practitioner and demonstrating that in these situations the practitioner may well be on his or her own, frequently deserted by colleagues.

In 2004, in the United Kingdom, sanctions were made against 315 doctors; 82 erasures, 116 suspensions (64 on health grounds) and 117 conditions on registration (64 on health grounds). In 2003, of 214 doctors subject to GMC supervision, nine died, giving a case fatality rate of 4.2%, twice the death rate from coronary artery by-pass surgery. After the deaths of four soldiers at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey, a mortality of 0.03 per cent (throughput of 12,000 soldiers), Amnesty International called for a Public Inquiry. The trend has been downward since the National Audit Office documented the £40m spent on suspensions (the most frequent challenge) to the Public Accounts Committee..

If the morbidity and mortality amongst such medical practitioners is not addressed, more health service resources will be wasted, morale amongst medical practitioners will continue to fall and recruitment to the medical profession may adversely be affected.

1. General Medical Council. Annual Report 2004. General Medical Council. London, 2004.

E mail: ddddonnelly@hotmail.com

Day 5: Petition for Confidentail Enquiry into deaths of 100 doctors while investigated by the General Medical Council

Friday 23-8-2013

Today, various Internet fora have been engaged including that of British Medical Association: doc2doc.

Two divisions in the campaign now formed: Student Union and Evidence (Public Health doctors).

DROPPING LIKE FLIES published by Dr No today. Dr No calculated that doctor has up to twenty times higher risk of dying if referred to be investigated by the regulator of medical profession, the General Medical Council.

Discovered issue raised by Professor Madhok in Hospital Service Journal in January 2013.

Day 4: Petition for Confidential Enquiry into 100 deaths of doctors while investigated by the General Medical Council

Thursday 22-8-2013

Manchester Student Union responds to our email to engage with the petition for confidential enquiry.

More Student Unions emailed petition.

Some doctors say they are frightened to sign the petition in case they are monitored. Well, that is so dysfunctional.

Total signatures at the end of the day: 150

Day 3: Petition for Confidential Enquiry into Deaths of 100 doctors subject to investigations by the General Medical Council

21-8-2013

We got 64 signatures today which is three times as many as yesterday but not eighteen times as many which is also possible.

A doctor suggested contacting Student Unions which we did. They are away until September.

A Chair of one of the Royal Colleges reports interest in this campaign. Meeting arranged over Skype next week.

Day 2: Petition asking for Confidential Enquiry into deaths of 100 doctors

20-8-2013

Petition has been approved for posting on the Internet by HM Government website and 18 people signed it within a couple of hours. I asked all of those who signed the petition to do just what I have done and if they did have the same rate of success it would take what I call four cycles of friendship to reach our goal which is 100,000 signatures in order to secure a debate in the House of Commons.

1st cycle: 1x18=18 signatures
2nd cycle 18x18=324
3rd cycle 324x18=5832
4th cycle 5832x18=104976

DAY 1: Petition Demanding Confidential Enquiry into deaths of more than 100 doctors while investigated by the General Medical Council

19-8-2013

Petition posted to HM Government's website asking for Confidential Enquiry into deaths of 100 doctors who died while investigated by the General Medical Council in United Kingdom.

Top Italian Judge Giulia Turri sentenced ex-Prime Minister to seven years in jail by Helen Bright

Finally, it took women to do what men would not, but could. Ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a lawyer by training, has been sentenced to seven years in jail, for using services of alleged underage prostitute (photographed on his right above), something both denied, and for the abuse of public office (special favours to her to get her out of trouble for something like stealing).
Berlusconi tarnished the image of Italy which has been saved by a woman judge, Guilia Turri, in what has been hailed as new age of feminism in Italy.
Many men must have joined the feminist movement too recently, sick and tired of their ex-Prime Minister's undignified conduct judging by the celebrations following the judgement.

Please, click on the photograph from BBC website to watch the delivery of the judgement.

Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has said that the CQC (Care Quality Commission) was "fundamentally flawed" when it was set up four years ago and there should be "very, very serious consequences" for anyone found guilty of a cover-up.

Now, of course, there are denials that there have been cover ups. Instead it was stated by ex staff of CQC that a report needed more work. This is in contrast to a statement made by Grant Thornton who wrote a report on a hospital where there was excess deaths of children.

We have noticed that some commissions appear to lack professional independence in some of their staff members and there could be a variety of causes for it, one being that it attracts security - of - job- fond bureaucrats.

No lassaire fair management from Jeremy Hunt then which is the right thing to do.

General Medical Council and Private Health Insurance for staff by Dr Helen Bright

General Medical Council has been attacked yet again by some doctors for paying small amounts of financial contribution towards private health insurance for their staff.

Doctors do get discounts for private health care insurance for themselves and their families and pay at least four times as much for their private health cover for obvious reasons: it very much depends what cover is provided by insurance. The more comprehensive the cover the more expensive it is. Judging by the amount paid by GMC the insurance cover is rather limited. Most doctors pay for themselves and their families more.

Why is it that some doctors are so mean to other people when they earn so much more than GMC staff. GMC staff do not receive large salaries and have to deal every day with unpleasant work.

 Straining reality into visual cortex, I guess.

Sir David Nicholson's performance before Health Committee

    6-3-2013

   Sir David Nicholson, Chief Executive of NHS, dominated in presentation of evidence to Health Committee in UK Parliament yesterday (televized, watch it HERE) following on from Francis inquiry regarding excess deaths in Mid Staffordshire hospitals in UK when it is estimated over 1200 patients died. At least 25 other hospitals are to be investigated for excess deaths now.

Sir David Nicholson described himself as a whistle-blower and as a person who would be willing to act if warned by whistle-blowers. Of course, he refused to see patients, relatives and professionals from Cure NHS pressure group who included in their membership whistle-blowers. He said he was sorry about that. It is so easy to say those words when it is convenient. Patients lost their lives, whistle-blowers their reputations and livelihood because they were persecuted by NHS and regulators such as the General Medical Council. Sir David Nicholson managed to preserve his position. Why and how?

Sir David Nicholson denied that the knew anything about the excess deaths in Mid Staffordshire at the time it was happening. Yet, his staff were watching data on mortality by Dr Foster  the leading provider of health and social care information. Do they not speak with him?

Amazingly, he was happy not to have the sight of mortality figures and he explained to the Committee that if he did have mortality data from hospitals this would lead to more questions being asked. That is exactly why those statistics are collected so that questions could be asked and answers provided. Dysfunctional individuals fear intimacy: answers, in the case of failing NHS hospitals, could cause fear the NHS system could collapse (and he could say goodbye to his job) and he did not want that. His own political adherence to the system no matter what is revealed is enduring and that is why he survived so far. Surely, he was supported by his political masters who were hardly ignorant. Whistle-blowers did write to politicians and regulators.

All MPs asked him pertinent questions and persistently so even when he was evasive. But he was an adaptable animal who was also content to use the key words such as transparency and accountability hoping new government would like the words and yet he had no idea who designed the system in which he worked and where systemic defects were blamed for some of the excess mortality. Can we believe that NHS Chief Executive would not know who designed NHS over the years and how the system works or what power and role he had in the system design? Please.

It is impossible to see how despite apology one could trust a man in position of power who tolerated defects because he liked having his job. See no evil, hear no evil is so typical of NHS management and he would be expected to play this game by his past political masters in case they too, were judged by voters as providing political solutions to healthcare which did not work or in case he got mobbed by his inferiors.

Who said this:

Why does it take a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye? 

Public need to face the facts too and see what role they played in perpetuating the system that cannot offer them everything they need under present conditions.