Three-quarters of doctors disagree with GMC Southall ruling
Article cited with kind permission of onmedica.com
A recent OnMedica poll of 589 doctors has found that 74% disagree with the General Medical Council’s decision to remove paediatrician David Southall from the medical register.
Dr Southall was struck off the register in December 2007 after being found guilty by the GMC of serious professional misconduct. The GMC decided Prof Southall’s conduct in a case where he accused a mother of drugging and murdering her son was an abuse of position and fundamentally incompatible with his continuing as a registered medical practitioner.
At the time of the ruling, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health spoke out against the GMC’s decision, and paid tribute to the major contribution to child health made by Dr Southall during a distinguished career.
Kamran Abbasi, CEO of OnMedica, said: “The GMC was criticised for its decision at the time of the ruling. This poll proves that a large majority of doctors agree that Dr Southall should not have been struck off. It is important that doctors are not deterred from undertaking child protection work.”
