UK doctors face being struck off for climate protests; Drs. Benn and Hart risk losing licenses pending MPTS hearings for activism crimes.
IN SHORT
- UK doctors involved in climate protests face the threat of being struck off.
- Dr. Sarah Benn is one of three doctors facing a strike for climate activism this year.
- Benn faces a professional tribunal by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), the disciplinary arm of the General Medical Council (GMC), to determine if she can keep her license to practice. Benn has four criminal convictions, including two for obstructing a highway, one for stopping lawful activity, and one for flying a drone in a restricted place.
- Benn was found guilty of contempt of court for breaching a civil injunction at Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire as part of a Just Stop Oil campaign.
- Dr. Patrick Hart, a doctor from Bristol, also has a string of convictions for climate activism, one of which resulted in a suspended prison sentence.
- The GMC states doctors are entitled to their personal political opinions and has nothing in its standards that prevents them from lobbying the government or campaigning on issues.
- If a doctor receives a custodial sentence after a criminal conviction, a referral to the MPTS is mandatory.
- Benn and Hart hope the GMC will develop guidance for the medical profession on activism, which they plan to stay involved in.
- There is a gulf between the science and what the general public, politicians, and business understand about the climate crisis.
- Benn and Hart still face criminal trials where they could lose their liberty and their professional license to practice.
UK doctors who took part in climate protests could be kicked out of the medical field. Dr. Sarah Benn and Dr. Patrick Hart are scheduled to appear before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), which is part of the General Medical Council (GMC) and handles complaints. One of the three GPs who could be fired this year for speaking out about climate change is Benn. He has been worried about the problem since 2019. The GMC hasn’t said anything about protests or activists, but Benn went above and beyond by telling the professional body and her local NHS boss every time she was arrested.
The GMC started an investigation into Benn after her first four arrests for crimes. She was given conditional discharges, but the investigation ended with a letter telling her to think about what she did and remember her professional duties. Benn broke a civil injunction at the Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire as part of the Just Stop Oil movement and was found guilty of contempt of court. He spent 31 days in prison for this crime.
A doctor from Bristol named Dr. Patrick Hart has also been convicted of several climate activism crimes, with one conviction leading to a suspended prison term. He turned down an official warning from the GMC and was told he would have to go to court in November. The GMC said that its guidance made it clear that doctors can have their own political views and that their standards don’t stop them from using their right to lobby the government or run for office on certain topics. However, if a doctor got jail time after being found guilty of a crime, they had to be sent to the MPTS.
The Shipman Committee said that doctors should be checked to see if they are fit to work without the GMC. This is what led to the creation of the MPTS in 2012. It often hears about doctors who mess up the books, sleep with patients, or drive while drunk. Benn, who is no longer a GP because she quit, wants the GMC to understand how important her actions were and say that doctors should be seen as “trusted messengers.” She is worried about how the grave crisis will affect public health, her children’s future, and the lives of people around the world who are already suffering, starving, and being forced to move because fossil fuels are still being burned.
Benn and Hart are still going to court for criminal charges. If found guilty, they could lose their freedom and their license to work as professionals. They think that activism has made them better doctors by letting them connect with patients in a way that is long-term and based on compassion and healthcare for all generations. Benn thinks that the public’s trust in the profession is very important, and she is very interested in how they will defend it.