New powers to suspend doctors raise fears of witch hunt against pro-Palestine medics
New rules could mean it will be easier for Britain's medical regulators to suspend and strike off doctors accused of anti-semitism and racism for their pro-Palestine views.
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting agreed on Tuesday to the biggest overhaul of Britain’s medical regulators in 40 years by proposing to give them sweeping new powers to suspend doctors more quickly.
Under the proposed legislative changes, the General Medical Council (GMC), which governs doctors, and the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), which oversees Britain’s medical regulators, will gain new powers to override decisions made by independent Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panels - bodies that previously acted as a check on regulatory overreach.
Proposed changes include giving the GMC new powers to challenge interim decisions of the MPTS, which decides cases that the GMC prosecutes.
The PSA could also be given more powers to scrutinise and challenge decisions.
Streeting's support for reforms comes as doctors and nurses in Britain's health service face pressure at the workplace for their support for Palestine.
Earlier this week, hundreds of doctors signed a petition calling on the GMC’s leadership to resign after they launched a High Court appeal against renowned Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sittah, after the MPTS ruled that he did not support a proscribed terror organisation and terrorism.
The PSA also joined the GMC challenge at the High Court against Abu Sittah after they were lobbied by the pro-Israeli UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) group to join the case.
'Weaponisation of fear'
James Smith, an emergency doctor and lecturer on emergency medicine, described Streeting's reforms as another example of "overreach" by the government against independent regulatory bodies in Britain.
"Concerns have repeatedly been raised that regulatory bodies such as the GMC have been subject to political manipulation. The recent - and ongoing - case of Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah exemplifies the complete disregard by this government - and the GMC - of matters of fairness, justice, and the law," Smith told MEE.
"Despite tribunals twice finding no reason to sanction Dr Abu Sittah, the GMC continues to pursue legal recourse.
"There is no doubt that there are problems with discrimination in the NHS. There is no doubt that access to quality care often falls below standards we expect of each other and our communities. But the solution isn’t to lie in the government’s continued weaponisation of fear and the sowing of division."
Over the last year, medical professionals have also taken their hospital trusts to court for sanctioning them for wearing symbols and sharing social media posts supporting Palestine, arguing that their beliefs are protected under equality legislation.
During this month’s British Medical Association consultants conference, 88 per cent of delegates backed a motion affirming doctors’ right to speak out on issues of public conscience, including international conflict and humanitarian law.
Anna Peiris, executive director of health justice charity Medact, said doctors and healthcare workers had faced repercussions for speaking out.
"A shockingly high number of doctors and other health workers, including our members, have faced suspension, bullying, intimidation or been forced out of the health service because of their opposition to genocide and support for Palestinians," said Peiris.
"These changes to legislation are clearly politically motivated by a desire to make it even harder for doctors to speak up for Palestine and against the UK government's violent support for war and genocide, by circumventing and undermining the main mechanism that exists to hold doctors accountable for racism."
The Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine petition also draws comparisons with the GMC’s widely criticised handling of the case of Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba, which was ultimately overturned.
The fallout from that case prompted calls to remove the GMC’s power to appeal tribunal decisions - a reform recommended in a 2018 review but yet to be enacted.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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