maybe the way forward is for all non-criminal complaints about doctors to be
handled by a supportive/educational body with some investigative powers and
if no success or thought to be serious, then handed on in toto to another
completely separate disciplinary body.

>From: Jel Coward <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: GP-UK <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Robbie and the GMC
>Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 17:50:21 -0800
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>
>Julian Bradley wrote:
>>At 13:41 31/03/2005, you wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 2005-03-31 at 09:44, Paul Caldwell wrote:
>>> > another example of the fact that the gmc is completely discredited.
>>>next
>>> > time i'll stand for it on a ticket advocating abolishing it and
>>>replacing it
>>> > with something more creditable and supportive. any vote for me then?
>>>
>>>You'll have to show you have read Dame Janet's reports to be a credible
>>>candidate, and not noting that the GMC is not supposed to be and has
>>>never been supposed to be and has been criticised for being supportive
>>>is probably incompatible with that.
>>
>>
>>Regulation and support only come into conflict in a very small proportion
>>of cases. The idea that the GMC should support patients and society's
>>reasonable expectations and support doctors in meeting those expectations
>>is not only credible and practical, but neither new nor impossible. I
>>value a body that works to protect the integrity of our profession, and
>>from an ethical and professional rather than a union point of view can
>>clarify when doctors cannot or should not comply with directions of
>>government, even a democratically elected one.
>
>Well said Julian.
>
>Snip
>>
>>There are doctors with problems and people who should be taking time out
>>or
>>looking for other careers, but there are lawyers, politicians and others
>>in
>>the same boat. Why do we acquiesce to such a limp wristed approach to
>>politicizing the regulation of medicine?
>
>A very good question, no doubt some around here will tell us it's all
>our fault, or that we can do nothing about it, or that we are adequately
>represented. I beg to differ and although I would not want to speak for
> Robbie, I guess he would too.
>
>Robbie, I hope you are lurking. Take a deep breath, take care, go slow
>and if there is any way that you can do anything about this, I hope you
>manage it - when I say 'you' I mean of course your legal representation.
>
>Regards all
>
>From the Fedora Core 3 laptop of Jel who has taken Adrian's advice and
>is FLOSSing regularly :)