Thursday, 17 July 2008

Wonderbras and Libel

Whistleblowers are Often a Handful

The most important thing about life is to understand that when in trouble, no one in the world is going to help you. This is something that whistleblowers understand too well. If we all relied on the British Medical Association or the Medical Protection Society, we would get nothing done in the world. Over the years, I have found that doctors rely too much on their defence unions and their trade unions. It is as if their brains stop and they leave the slaves over at BMA towers to do their job. The problem is, no one does their job. I have no idea why the ability to read disappears from every junior and senior doctor. Anything is possible if minds are applied. That's what I have believed anyway. The few who have been pro-active and taken the bull by the horns have done very well.

The British Medical Association was my trade union. We have to remember that I wasn't always a straight talking, no nonsense raptor. I became that way because no one was there to help me. I wrote about the BMA some weeks ago. There you will find extracts of the internal documentation I obtained under the Data Protection Act 1998. The BMA have not spoken to me since then. This is probably because I think they are a bunch of useless gits who wasted my money for years as a student then a doctor. Boy, does it feel good to insult them on occasion. I am going to move one step further and say they were "f****** useless". [swearing often makes me feel better]. Sure, I remember sitting there crying on the steps of the hospital because I didn't have anyone to turn to. The point is when you are at the lowest point in your life, there is only one way to go and that is UP. That was a long time back. That was 1998 and I don't cry anymore. I just get equal. It was during this equality phase that Neil Bacon and I scrapped on the internet. Bacon can't stand me. I can understand why. Its not easy to be faced with someone who never gave up. We ought to meet for dinner to iron out our differences but I think he prefers a good cyberwhipping. Well, all of us are here to oblige. Trust me, its happened before. Personally, in my view, the best solution for Bacon is to allow his wife Miss Piggy to tie him up on the four posts of their marital bed. Perhaps then he wouldn't be let out to create havoc in cyberspace.

Contrary to popular belief, I really don't like litigation. I only engage in it when life is becoming impossible. I would not recommend it to anyone. It should actually carry a health warning. When I litigate, I tend to start eating chocolate. Following that, I start buying more wonderbras. I then start reading Hello while reading case law and acts.

A few suggestions from my end if anyone wishes to go it alone. iwantgreatcare.org is behaving very badly at present. Neil Bacon is simply a bad boy - mind you he was always a bad boy. If he had the guts to have met me, I would have slapped him on both cheeks with a wonderbra. Some men just need some strict discipline to behave. He should stop hanging around with Prof Bulstrode Mr Lost in Space. In true form, he has ignored the fact that there is trouble ahead. The sharks are swimming around him ready to bite with writs and Bacon refuses to meet anyone half way. He refuses to compromise. That's Neil's problem though - a lack of insight into the needs of others. He is one of those boys who likes to go right to the edge then start crying for his mum when things get too hot. He refuses to acknowledge the dangers of his website. I have no idea whether being blonde has anything to do with his distinct lack of insight.

Anyway, I have a few interesting links for everyone. They may or may not be of use.

1. I have already discussed Data Protection in great length.

2. The other alternative is moving upstream to his servers . A request can be made for removal of the offending post.

3. Getting a Lawyer. It is best to check with the MPS to see whether they will fund a defamation case. They have funded Andrew Wakefield's libel case.

Other alternatives

a. Lawyers. The most famous are Peter Carter Ruck, David Price and Lovells.
You can search for other solicitors locally through the Law Society Directory.
b. Public Access Directory.
Anyone can hire a barrister directly. A whole list is available below.
c.Information on No Win, No Fee.

4. The case law for removal of offending posts is

a. Godfrey v Demon
b. The case law copy can be downloaded here.
c. The Friends Reunited Case.
d. The Motley Fool Libel case.

4. If you want to read the basics of defamation Wikipaedia has a good summary

5. This is a copy of the Defamation Act

6. Before any litigation, most things can be resolved through a pre-action protocol. This is where you write a letter in a set format outlining the defamation and requesting a removal. It is worth familiarising yourself with the basics of libel even before approaching a lawyer. My favourite website is One Brick Court. It has some interesting articles etc on libel.

[ by the way, its important not to sue me because I do eat libel lawyers for dinner as Dr Crippen pointed out and I have won Adoko v Pal [x4] - Adoko was a barrister] :).

As I have said, I don't think defamation law is a long term solution in the case of iwantgreatcare.org. It does not protect against GMC referrals which is the bigger danger. It just takes one post to instigate the procedure whether it is true or not. Stopping the GMC procedure once it gets on the road is virtually impossible. Most complaints take 6 months to complete.

Any one who complains to iwantgreatcare.org needs to find out the source of Neil's database and then take it from there RE Data Protection. If anyone knows the source, let me know. I would be interested. A better solution can be found after that piece of information.

My final alternative against Neil Bacon's iwantgreatcare.org website is to set up a counterwebsite, list it right next to his on Google UK. This would be a website where doctors can defend any allegations against them fully. Every person should have the right to reply unlike the recently admissions of Prof Bulstrode. This will probably deter any patient with false information about their doctor. I have no problems with raising complaints about badly behaved patients.

The only issue remains confidentiality. This is the GMC's arena and they have to set out guidance as to whether a doctor is allowed to defend themselves against an onslaught of allegations. There has been no ruling on this. I have just been examining the case relating to David Southall. I have never seen so many lying by complainants as I have within this case.

There are two sides of the coin - the vulnerable innocent patient and those who are compensation seekers. We have moved into the post Shipman era. The rights of doctors have been dropped by the way side in favour of those complainants are loudmouthed and vexatious. Perhaps I am slightly jaded, but I have read pages and pages of distorted information propagated through the media in the Southall case. I use that as a example because his case initially started with comments made on an internet website and spiralled out of control. There is a post, then there is the media snooping around, then there is the GMC. That should give you an idea of how matters just spiral. I am all for exposing badly behaved patients and those who have a vendetta against doctors. Perhaps if we did that, vulnerable patients and those who have been truly wronged would have a chance in this system.

Right, to Beta test Bacon's Fry-up, I thought I would go off to iwantgreatcare.org and comment on all the doctors involved on Ward 87 North Staffordshire NHS Trust. We could then move onto all the GMC Committee members and after that Neil Bacon himself :). Perhaps the GMC would let me know how they feel about that?

Lets start with the big guy himself Professor Rod Griffiths :). Having shafted David Southall and me, he continues undeterred. Can I call Griffiths a lying old buzzard? :). It is a damned shame Finlay Scott, the biggest witchfinder general isn't a doctor or on the list. A relative told me that it would be a good idea to set up iwantgreatgmcmembers.org . We can then have all the GMC workers and members on the list for the public to comment on the shoddy workmanship they receive everyday.

By the way, thankyou Witchdoctor. He spotted a panoramic view of my assets :). The Jobbing Doctor, Ferret or Dr Rant have never been impressed with whistleblowing while in a wonderbra. Perhaps it places the profession into disrepute :) . Then there is Dr Crippen who has seen far too much for a married man :) and currently cannot cope with his temporary hormonal upsurge.

Now anyone for any spread betting on how long iwantgreatcare.org will last?

Public Access Directory [Bar Council]

Search Results for Defamation

Mr Mark Kudzo Dzitosi Afeeva - London
020 7404 3447

Mr Roger Louis Andre - Leeds
0113 245 1841

Mr Gamini Bertram Angammana - London
020 8771 5205

Dr Michael Thomas Walter Arnheim - London
020 7833 5093

Mr Marc Clifford Beaumont - Windsor
01753 839321

Mr Michael David Beckman QC - London
020 7831 6381

Mr Gordon William Bishop - London
020 7242 2902

Mr Rupert James Butler - London
020 7415 7800

Mr Islamuddin Chowdhary - London
020 7583 2121

Mr Iain Robert Christie - London
020 7242 2902

Mr Edward Mervyn Cohen - London
020 7831 6381

Miss Anna Francesca Coppola - London
020 7242 2902

Mr Jonathan Crystal - London
020 7827 4000

Mr Robert Murray Deacon - London
020 7831 6381

Mr John Vincent Fitzgerald - London
020 7430 1660

Mr Jonathan Jacob Goldberg QC - London
020 7400 9600

Mr Thomas Patrick Henry Graham - London
020 7419 8000

Mr Alexander Darien Heylin - London
020 7332 5400

Mr Muhammad Altaf Hussain - London
020 8679 2398

Dr Alexander Khan - Manchester
0845 083 3000

Mr Richard Anthony Lissack QC - London
020 7353 6381

Mr Timothy Vivian Ludbrook - London
020 7831 4445

Mr William Thomas McCormick - London
020 7400 9600

Mr Sajjad Nabi - London
020 7353 2532

Mr Simon Kanwardeep Perhar - London
020 7400 9600

Mr Anis Rahman - London
020 7404 0875

Miss Christy Abigail Rogers - London
020 7430 1660

Mr Diego Fernando Soto-Miranda - London
020 7936 3030

Mr Mark David John Warby QC - London
020 7242 2902

Ms Ceri Louise Widdett - Leeds
0113 243 3277

Mr Clive Richard Wolman - London
020 7831 6381




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