GMC disclosure damages careers, livelihoods and reputations

Does Martin Walker hate the GMC because
his girlfriend ran off and married Finlay Scott?

Thankyou to the doctor who left this link. I think this is rather fascinating really. I know the General Medical Council and their barristers at Blackstone Chambers often argue the opposite. ie that the there is no effect of an investigation on a doctor's livelihood.

Nevertheless, here is the admission that GMC cases threaten doctors employment.

'Those cases threaten doctors' employment and allege more serious issues about the doctor's practice because the employers know more about it,' said Mr Philip.

Finlay Scott is currently in court fighting a case that crows about the fact that no harm is done to a doctors employment by a case at GMC Towers. Of course, the more astute of us who go GMC document spotting noticed the following quote :-

Paragraph 73 of Finlay Scott's statement [ Shipman Inquiry] reads as follows

"The disclosure by the GMC to third parties of information about doctors whose fitness to practise is being investigated was a source of some difficulty until 2000, when matters were put on a statutory footing at the GMC’s request. On the one hand, the GMC recognised that its duty to protect patients required, in certain circumstances, the disclosure of information about a GMC investigation to those responsible locally for the doctor. On the other hand, the GMC was very aware of the damage that could be caused to a doctor’s reputation, career and livelihood through disclosure of information about allegations that had not been substantiated and might in due course prove to be unfounded. That this was an uncertain and complex area of law increased the difficulties we faced in making judgments about disclosure in individual cases”.

Dedicated to Finlay Scott and his £10,000 lawyers, one of whom can't even tell the difference between a blog URL and a website URL.