GP to be investigated by the GMC

Are we sure he really compared it to asking a motorcyclist to take his helmet off? Wasn't that just a poster on this thread who said that?

"made her strip off"?

Laughable only because it is so stupid.

The fact that he stated that asking a woman to remove a veil is no different from asking a motorcyclist to remove a helmet at best demonstrates a level of stupidity which would not likely be compatable with passing medical school..

It demonstates such disregard and a lack of empathy to pretend its the same thing. Now maybe he is that stupid, but I struggle to believe that a doctor wouldnt know the difference.....

Thats what is so concerning

Well at the end of the day the doctor was wrong in his original actions and even more wrong to go to the press a simple apology would have been enough to shut it all up Im sure, only a very arrogant person or an out and out racist would want to see it all plastered over the media and whip up a hooly
God help us if we ever make Britain a country with a dress code what a dreary dull old place it will be sylwrite

Yes. I see what you mean, I thought they still had e records and appraisals that followed them though?

Yes I know all that - I was making the point that this doctor is not employed by the hospital. He was working as a locum in a service that CCG organises and for which it uses local GPs and locums to staff the service.

GPs work in hospitals too. In ambulatory care and out of hours and hospitals have GP admission wards and also GP led long stay wards.

He’s not a hospital doctor. He’s apparently working as a locum GP. He will not have an electronic record following him around.

maryeliza I believe that Drs files do follow them electronically?? At least junior doctors do?? So I dont think you can behave badly on one posting then get a clean HR slate at the next if thats what you mean?

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.

There is another possibility which is that this GP was covering up hearing loss and hoping to get away with coasting to retirement by lip reading. In which case THAT would definitely be a GMC fitness to practice issue...

There are lots of possible interpretations. None have the GP coming out of it as the victim..

Agree jane but for slightly different reasons. He was a locum there not their employee. The GMC might well want to make further enquires from previous employers/agencies in case he had ‘form’ . The hospital would not get involved in this effort for a locum but wouldn’t ignore it either.

If the hospital pulled him in and he listened and admitted he did wrong... there is no way the hospital would want the bad PR of referring on to GMC. They would have sent him on diversity updates and issued an apology
I disagree notanan
I think it’s much more likely the hospital recognised a red flag when they saw one, and diverted it to the GMC so that they could take the flak, whatever the outcome.

The whole point is that a complaint was made, it is going through due process. The doctor is a stupid prat for talking to the press and posing for photographs. People are using this for racist reasons and there is a great deal of (deliberate?) misreporting

A lot will have ridden on his initial response to the complaint...

Its not just about the complaint itself, how a HCP responds is what is noted just as much. They will have been looking to see if it bothered him that a women left his care upset or perhaps at risk, or if he behaved with indignation about his authority being questioned.

Fuse =fair

Well it seems most of you have access to information the rest of us haven't and know how the doctor normally treats women, what he said, how the woman felt, how her husband treats her, what the child said etc. etc. etc.

Then you arent comprehending posts very well.

It doesnt matter which potential interpretation you apply, none justify what he did or make his excuse for it make sense.

The GMC will talk to him.
The hospital wont have forwarded it to the GMC without speaking to him.
His response when questioned will have guided the hospitals onward actions. If it was isolated, and he was remorseful that his actions had made a women feel uncomfortable and/or vulnerable, it would go on his HR file and he would have been referred fof diversity training.

Thats how it works. You dont need to know the details of this case to know that.

Not to mention that if she was mumbling WITH her veil she will prob mumble more whilst feeling uncomfortable and exposed without it..

Well it seems most of you have access to information the rest of us haven't and know how the doctor normally treats women, what he said, how the woman felt, how her husband treats her, what the child said etc. etc. etc. So as I freely admit I don't know any of these things I will bow to your obvious superior knowledge. [hmm[ I don't know why the GMC is bothering with an investigation - they should just consult GN

notanan as far as I am aware he didn't ask her to "strip off".

He did. As far as she and/or her husband is concerned.

Some cultures dont cover their breast, I cover mine. It would be asking me to "strip off" to ask me to be bare to the waist.

Asking a veiled women to remove it on front if non family males is asking her to "strip off" and should be done with the same level of justification and maintaining of dignity as you would exercise asking other women to remove their coverings

What does he do if someone mumbles who has had a stroke? Ask them to strip off? Or ask clearer closed questions and listen more carefully? Hmm?

notanan as far as I am aware he didn't ask her to "strip off".

The wearing of a veil is not a religious requirement it is a cultural one - just as women not being allowed to be alone in the presence of a non related male is. It seems the husband was prepared to overlook that custom.

Does it matter? The unnecessary removal of her veil on this doctors unjustified request either left her feeling vulnerable and she shared that with her husband so he could represent her OR the husband found out (kids blab) and she is suffering his anger...

So either way a woman left unnecessarily vulnerable however you interpret it.

"HE should overlook it.." well he didnt, did he!

I have just looked at the petition and read some of the comments - yes some are disgustingly racist but the majority are simply saying the doctor was trying to do his job and find out all he could about the patient (the child).

We don't know exactly what was said in the room at the time - did he just say she should take off the veil or did he ask her if she would mind removing or lifting her veil.

However it is phrased the doctor is in a position of power and as a male alone in a room with vulnerable females, he should be hyper sensitive/aware of that! Especially before asking them (even nicely) to strip off!!

Oh the irony in your post Beckett. The doctor should not be giving interviews to the press whilst an investigation is going on. If this were my doctor and I’d officially complained about him, I would be royally pissed off and feeling that my complaint would not be getting a fuse hearing ( I’d be wrong to think this of course as he’s actually damaging his reputation and is storing up possible future charges)