[STOP PRESS 4 Jan 2014 @15:02: Dr Ben Goldacre’s Internet Bullies Given OK To Launch Attacks On Their Own Blogs – And Told To Shut Up On His BadScience Forum. This new CHS article is published because since the CHS article below was published CHS has obtained information showing some people will not take notice even when it is spelt out clearly for them.]
A patient committed suicide after an anonymous malicious complaint was made by Stuart Jones to the UK’s General Medical Council about the patient’s treating physician, a disciplinary tribunal was told. Stuart Jones [Registration Number: CS17316] was at the time a member of Dr Ben Goldacre’s BadScience Forum and was a clinical scientist at the Queens Hospital, Romford, UK. The physician concerned sometimes employed treatment methods which were not those conventionally employed by others but which apparently reaped benefits for patients.
After making the complaint to the GMC about the patient’s doctor, Stuart Jones wrote on May 19th 2010 on Dr Ben Goldacre’s BadScience Forum to other forum members:
Yup, that’s exactly why I complained actually, to give SM a bucket load of administration to wade through and increase anxiety levels in her patients, very pleasurable in deed!”
The patient, who was suffering with chronic fatigue syndrome at the time [also known as ME] killed himself, according to evidence from his doctor, because he mistakenly believed his doctor was no longer allowed to treat him: ‘Deluded quack’ jibe nearly ruined doctor’s career, Daily Telegraph, 21 December 2011.
Members of Dr Ben Goldacre’s Badscience Forum are encouraged by Dr Ben Goldacre to take direct action and get involved. This has included some members launching online attacks on medical professionals who employ treatment modalities others in mainstream medicine do not. BadScience Forum members are also encouraged to make complaints to a large number of regulatory bodies all the time.
In fact Dr Goldacre encourages his BadScience Forum members to get very, very involved:
The time for talking has passed. I draw the line at kidnapping, incidentally.”
Dr Ben Goldacre has practised as a psychiatrist and is a columnist for the UK’s Guardian newspaper where his column, which appears infrequently now, is devoted to what he calls BadScience.
Stuart Jones’ complaint resulted in the temporary suspension by the GMC of the patient’s doctor.
The GMC prosecution of the deceased patient’s treating doctor was dropped abruptly by the GMC. By 22nd August 2011 the GMC advised the Doctor all charges had been dropped – [see chonology at end of this article].
Stuart Jones was in turn prosecuted by the Health and Care Professions Council. He was subjected to a very minor punishment of merely a two-year Caution Order. The two year caution order was imposed in December 2011 but will remain on the register until 18th January this year.
Between 1st March 2009 and 26th October 2010 Stuart Jones, posting anonymously on Dr Ben Goldacre’s BadScience Forum as “Jonas“, made numerous disparaging remarks about the patient’s treating physician.
The career of the patient’s doctor was nearly destroyed in addition to the patient taking his own life in despair at the thought of not getting effective treatment after Stuart Jones described the patient’s doctor as a ‘deluded, pill-peddling quack’ the disciplinary tribunal hearing was told. Stuart Jones also wrote on the BadScience website that the patient’s doctor, who specialises in treating chronic fatigue syndrome, “lulled patients into a dangerous world of make-believe pseudo-science”. The Health Professions Council heard evidence that Jones’ messages were “defamatory, derogatory and disparaging” and had a detrimental effect on the doctor’s professional and personal life.
Dr Ben Goldacre’s BadScience Forum was flooded with 10,000 posts responding to Jones’ initial message in April 2010.
Evidence at the hearing from the patient’s doctor was:
In fact, there was one patient in particular who thought because I had been suspended I could no longer could be consulted. I don’t know if this happened directly as a result of that but the man deteriorated and he actually committed suicide. That’s just one example of how one patient was very seriously affected. I don’t know if that’s directly as part of Mr Jones’ blogging but it resulted.“
Causing a patient to commit suicide by vicious bullying of the patient’s treating doctor specifically to “increase anxiety levels” in the victim doctor’s patients is apparently not a sufficiently serious crime to warrant more than a 2 year “caution” for the Health and Care Professions Council.
Although no charges were brought against the patient’s doctor by the GMC and the doctor was never called before the GMC, aborted investigations in 2006/07 cost the GMC £136,692.12 in solicitors’ fees and disbursements and a possible further £500,000 on internal costs – according to a report on a website set up to support the patient’s doctor by patients and wellwishers.
The GMC is funded by a levy paid by all medical doctors registered in the UK.
It appears also no action has been taken by the GMC regarding Dr Goldacre’s BadScience Forum activities.
The GMC is meant to act on patient complaints. The GMC is an unusual organisation as this previous CHS post demonstrates:
UK General Medical Council Told Docs “Commit Fraud for MMR Vaccine Bonuses”
To complain to the GMC you can contact them on:
Email: gmc@gmc-uk.org.
Or telephone:
- Inside the UK: 0161 923 6602
- Outside the UK: +44 161 923 6602
Monday to Friday – 8am to 6pm – Saturday – 9am to 5pm – UK Time.
Details of the outcome of the 2011 HCPC hearing against Stuart Jones can be read here on the HCPC’s website:
Stuart Jones
Profession: Clinical scientist |
Registration Number: CS17316 |
Hearing type: Final Hearing |
Date & Time of hearing: 20/12/2011 – 10:00 End: 20/12/2011 – 18:00 |
Location: HPC, Park House, 184 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 4BU |
Panel: Conduct and Competence Committee |
Outcome: Caution |
Registration Number: CS17316
CHRONOLOGY [6 Jan 2014]: This is a chronology of some of what the poor doctor has had to face at the hands of the General Medical Council.
Compare what follows with the case of Dr Jane Barton.
With Barton the police investigated 92 deaths over 12 years [no criminal charges were brought]. An inquest found ten of 12 deaths followed excessive doses of morphine. Dr Barton was neither struck off nor suspended but simply had restrictions to prescribe certain drugs imposed on her. This GMC decision came on January 29th 2010.
What The GMC Did To This Doctor
Remember at all times that no patient was harmed. Patients benefited and praised the Doctor and none were put at risk.
Nov 2002: five day GMC fitness to practice hearing scheduled to take place. Five complaints only from doctors, none from patients. No patient harmed, put at risk, nor any malpractice. Complaints objected to doctor’s style of practice and the allergy, environmental, nutritional approach to medicine.
Oct 2002: hearing postponed to Feb 2003 and extended 8 days for eight complaints.
Jan 2003: Feb hearing cancelled – no proper explanation. Hearing was cancelled because at least one allegation was fabricated, one based on untrue facts and patients had refused to co-operate.
April 2007: new set of allegations & new hearing proposed. Again, includes complaints only from doctors and who do not like the style of practice. No patient harmed or put at risk. Now extended also to complaints about website.
July 2007: 10 day General Medical Council (GMC) fitness to practice hearing scheduled to take place Sept 2007.
That hearing later postponed and proposed as a thirteen day hearing in February 2008.
Oct 2007: GMC drop all charges.
Aug 2009: Aug 12th GMC had been found out removing documentary evidence supporting the accused Doctor.
Apr 2010: Apr 2nd anonymous complaint received from GMC by Doctor [complaint from Stuart Jones].
April 2010: Thurs 8th April GMC orders Doctor to attend “Interim Orders Panel” for following Monday 12th April. IOP is to make no decision about validity of complaint – an “interim” hearing only.
April 2010: April 9th – hearing postponed to April 29th.
April 2010: April 29th IOP hearing of unsubstantiated anonymous complaint [from Stuart Jones]. IOP hearing is not concerned if allegations are true but with whether to impose an order to protect public if the allegations were found to be true. GMC interim panel decided there was a “potential risk to public safety” so imposed an interim order. [Compare the Barton case above where Barton’s patients died after morphine overdoses, inquests & police investigations with this one where patients benefitted from Dr’s treatments & supported Doc. Barton’s patients were in no condition to complain.]
Dec 2011: Over 1 1/2 years later yet another IOP hearing.
Jan 2011: Temporary suspension lifted.
Aug 2011: 1st Aug all sanctions lifted.
Aug 2011: 22nd Aug all charges dropped. GMC cancels Fitness to Practice Hearing [scheduled for November 2011] and advises there is no case to answer. Dr reinstated on the General Medical Council Register.
Dec 2011: 20th Dec Stuart Jones found guilty by HCPC.
Oct 2012: Despite serious charges of professional misconduct against the doctor being dropped the GMC continued its long victimisation of this courageous Dr. But this time regarding charges concerning the content of her website. The first expert witness the GMC picked to give evidence did not give them the answer they wanted. His evidence was:
Dr Hr stated that he did not consider that you were acting inappropriately although he considered that your reference to ‘dangerous medicine’ was inappropriate. He added the caveat that you should ensure that the information given should be accurate and not alarmist. Overall, he considered that your actions were appropriate and of a reasonable competent standard.
So the GMC commissioned two more experts to address the website content and they decided it was not appropriate.
Instead of being struck from the medical register the Dr was given a “warning”.
— THE END — [for the moment]
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