GP to be investigated by the GMC

This is either just a storm in a teacup or there is more to this than we're led to believe.
It appears to be a ridiculously inflammatory article !

This works both ways. Years ago I had an echocardiogram and the results were " explained " to me by a doctor who wore the full garb, veil and all. It took me all my time to cut through her accent for starters without the veil being in the way of my trying to read her lips.
I was continually asking her to repeat what she'd said as it was my health at stake and I'd wished that she'd have written things down. I was no wiser when I left and I'm by no means deaf or daft.

I wished I'd written to the local rag !!

A motorbike helmet is hardly the same thing. The muslim veil is a religious thing.

Sounds to me like the doctor was being a bullying clever-arse.

Well I don't doubt it's all over the press because it feeds into the wider issue of the schism that exists between sections of our society, in the same way demonstrations are taking place in some schools against the LGBT education programme. I agree it should have been resolved before it was allowed to escalate, but if the GP has been reported to the GMC then as you rightly state Maryeliza the correct procedures have to be adhered to. In the meantime all that takes a while and the GP, if I understand rightly is not allowed to practice.

I can't agree about "he should have just asked her to speak up" she could have been heavily accented and that combined with a mumble means that if your hearing isn't 100% the doctor may have needed to see the movement of the mouth to fully understand her properly and isn't it highly important that a doctor does hear everything otherwise he may miss something really crucial, especially as the actual patient was a young child.

I don't think a doctor would carry on a consultation with a motor cyclist who kept his helmet on which muffled speech. Another man's career could be ruined by someone who takes offence for someone else.

Beckett the press reporting on this is all over the place and contradictory ( well there’s a surprise). What are the ‘facts’ about the petition? We don’t know. What we do know is that the doctor has freely given interviews to the press and posed for photographs.

Elvive exactly - the fact that it wasn’t easily and quickly resolved potentially speaks volumes. And now it’s being really escalated and feelings are being stirred up by the whole way it’s being reported.

Wonder what race relations generally are like in Stoke?

And how much does he need to hear to check if a child has tonsillitis?

Did he "go to the press"? The first I heard about this was when I was told about a petition started by his patients supporting him. Perhaps the press picked up on that and interviewed him.

Picture in the paper here stoke sentinel

Doesn't look at all aggresive does he?

River exactly.

Terri why is this all over the press? What good is it doing - we know damn well what is going on and it ain’t pretty. Hundreds of doctors are referred to the GMC every year and for the doctor to go to the press at this stage is very very unusual if not unprecedented. He is hardly helping his case.

The local Stoke newspaper reported that the woman's husband sat outside the surgery glowering

You can sense the hostility in that statement - what exactly does it mean? Did he sit permanently with a scowl and not change expression? How does one glower?

I dare say it could have been quickly solved. There must be millions of consultations going on and occasionally something goes wrong.

The husband sat outside glowering ? This all sounds unpleasant, people giving interviews to the press

I worked in Saudi Arabia for 6 months and the Saudi nurses wore face veils.

It was perfectly easy to understand everything they said - a thin piece of cloth does not muffle your voice. Maybe she she has a voice that doesn't carry well, mumbles, or a strong accent - removing the veil wouldn't have made a difference IMO.

Preferring to see someone's face is a different matter.

For what it's worth Annie

No idea what FWIW means

From what I read it was a drop in type surgery so possibly no female GP available. The local Stoke newspaper reported that the woman's husband sat outside the surgery glowering allegedly which begs the question why he didn't either take the child in or at least accompany his wife when it became clear his wife was being summoned by a male GP

Sounds like the doc needs a hearing aid.

Rubbish that he couldn't hear.

Oh well abyou know all about all Gurkha families? FWIW I know a GP who practices in an area where many Gurkhas have settled and there are some interesting and serious issues about the provision of healthcare for Nepalese women and girls which are not solved but rather exacerbated by not having one to one consultations. It’s looking down the wrong end of the telescope

soda the ‘facts’ as we have them is that she did remove the veil so the consultation could proceed - she did care about her child getting appropriate care. See how the debate develops?

Bluebell I didn’t say the women were not strong or fearful,
they are not submissive, I lived next door to a Gurka family
and certainly know they are not submissive to their husbands, just they do not attend medical appointments unaccompanied.

BB x posts. The GMC investigation would look at the issues you raised BB - that’s what I mean about only hearing one side of the story. How amazing that this incident has been raised at a time when the front runner for PM (god help us all) is someone who compares burkha wearing women to letterboxes and terrorist. What a nasty little country we are

I agree that there seems to be an element of trouble causing here. Complaints quite rightly have to be investigated although it seems some investigations are more rigourous than others.
I think if my child was ill the last thing I would be concerned about was veil removal.