GP to be investigated by the GMC

Because of course loads of women who are concerned about a child with tonsilitis go to a drop in surgery wearing a bikers helmet.

Come on. Do you really agree that a to a veiled woman, being asked to remove the veil is no different to taking off a bike helmet??

Nobody really believes that surely? And if they do they have had an empathy bypass

What about the assumptions that this doctor is a racist and a misogynist - I have no idea whether this doctor is what he is being accused of by some posters but it seems some people are making wild assumptions. How about waiting until the investigation by the GMC is finished

Janeainsworth that makes zero sense. What "flak" would there have been if they had been satisfied with their internal investigation?. it wouldnt have been made public! There would be no flak! GMC referrals = media attention

Think about it notanan.
The hospital uses its normal complaints procedure.
Either a) It decides the doctor wasn’t out of order, but apologises to the complainant for hurt feelings etc. Complainant will not be satisfied with this and will either refer the matter to the GMC themselves, or go to the press, or both. If they don’t go to the press, someone else will on their behalf. The hospital gets heavily criticised in the press for sticking up for the doctor and not listening to the patient.

Or b). The hospital decides as a result of the complaint that the doctor is out of order/guilty of misconduct and because this is obviously going to be construed as racially motivated, a referral to the GMC is mandatory.
The GMC gets involved anyway, so the hospital just save themselves the aggro.
Of course it would have been made public. Do you really think that either party would have been amenable to an apology?

There is a generation of doctors who as students practiced intimate exams on anaethetised women whose consent was not asked, and who had no clinical need for a vaginal exam. Some have moved on in their views of women with humility, and now practice respectfully despite training at a time when views were very different, others havent. And those who havent should have their views challenged.

So if it had been a Muslim doctor and a Christian woman you would still be as enthusiastic to see him punished - and making the assumption that he is racist and misogynist

If there was no logical clinical need for him to ask her to disrobe, hell yes! That would raise concerns about his fitness to practice...
If he compaired asking her to expose a part of her body that she felt more comfortable for no defendable reason and compaired it to removing a bike helmet, yes that would be concerning.

Lenny Henry as a comedian used to laugh and joke about himself ! Nobody saw the harm in that, in fact people liked him more because of his sense of humour and his ability to laugh at himself.
He's a great character.

I agree with Maryeliza, in the current climate, either side could be mischief making, and without the full facts, it’s difficult to judge. I worked among Muslim families for twenty years when I was teaching, and whilst they were quite conservative (small c) I never once had to speak to a woman with her face covered, even though there were men around. This woman could have taken her husband into the consultation apparently, I wonder why she didn’t. Who knows what the actual facts of the situation were, we certainly don’t.

This sort of nonsense has created people like Tommy Robinson and we can well do without encouraging people like him every time a white person happens to upset a person of foreign extraction.
We never used to have this sort of behaviour when Alf Garnet graced our screens.

So your scenario is a Christian woman is asked to remove clothing so a doctor who is Muslim can examine her? Am I understanding you correctly?

Wait until someone somewhere along the line is " wronged " by a foreign doctor. We'll either not hear the end of it or there'll be a pregnant silence. Nobody will kick-off that's for sure.

WadesNan-----no answer came the firm reply !!
Such a question falls on deaf ears.

So if it had been a Muslim doctor and a Christian woman you would still be as enthusiastic to see him punished - and making the assumption that he is racist and misogynist

Either you appreciate that as a doctor you are in a position of authority, and patients dignity should be respected as much as possible. Or you dont.

And if he doesnt in this scenario, he wont be respectful in other scenarios where women are vulnerable.

It depends on how it was done. Were chaperones offered? Was the request medically justified? Were efforts made to minimise resulting discomfort and loss of dignity?

Mainly the third and fourth ones ^

My question was what would the reaction be if it was a Muslim doctor and a Christian woman.

Yes WadesNan my reaction was the same when a white doctor left me unessessarily exposed while he discussed my case with a colleague after examining me. I appreciated that being exposed whilst physically examined was necessary, but not the part where he left me exposed afterwards until a nurse came along...

So I can empathise with a muslim lady who is exposed for no clinical reason.

As should anyone really. Especially a doctor.

Blimey, you'd think he'd murdered someone. It just beggars belief !!

I have been a long time lurker but this is my first post. Can I ask what the reaction would be if the patient was a Christian woman asked to remove her blouse by a Muslim doctor, say to check her heartbeat (which can be done without removing clothing) - would the condemnation of the doctor be the same?

It reminds me of something a friend told me - the people who protest the loudest "protecting" ethnic minorities and gays are often doing so to hide their true feelings - yes he did know what he was talking about, being a black gay man when it was illegal.

Gonegirl it is in several mainstream newspapers google "gmc gp veil" and there are a few different ones

They also report that he is apparently pleased about the petition. There is no way that they are 60,000 of his previous patients or colleagues who are attesting to his practice, the petition is political... and his enthusiasm about it aligns him with the signatories....

Well, I really couldn't describe it as "stripping off". And tbh, I don't think you can compare a muslim woman's face to her breasts or her (whispers) "down there's"!

And that the motocycle helmet comparison was made after he had been made aware that removing the veil had caused the woman problems....

Very concerning.

Wow. Really surprised at that. He must be stupid as well as a bullying racist.

Any chance of a link?

"Laughable only because it is so stupid. hmm"

How would you describe being asked to expose a part of your body that you always keep covered in public?

Gonegirl the motocycle comment is in " " s in the press, so we are as sure as we can be..