Can Harry Hill practice as a doctor?

[XmasPostmanBos]

Harry Hill qualified as a doctor and while we were watching him the other day we wondered if he is allowed to write prescriptions for friends and family. What are the rules for people who give up doctoring to go into show business (or other business)? Can they still do a bit of doctoring as a hobby?

No they have to pay to stay registered and they can’t write out prescriptions for family and friends.

No, he won't have kept up his GMC registration.

No doctor can prescribe fir self/ friends/family - against GMC guidance
Whether he can do some doctoring on the side depends if he has retained a license to practice with the GMC or not eg Dr Chris has but Dr xand (twins of operation ouch!) has given his license to practice up

I don't think any doctors are allowed to write prescriptions for friend and family unless they are actually registered as your patient.
That said I'm also fairly sure that doctors have to keep a professional vregistration up to date and do a certain amount of cpd each year, so if he hasn't vdone this he wouldn't be able to practice.

Ex MIL was a doctor and used to prescribe for family members occasionally, not a regular thing but didn’t realise it was against guidance.

In order to retain their license, doctors have to report / work a certain number of hours a month (could be a week). Doctors on the telly who dish out advice (so Dr Chris, Dr Christian etc) also maintain their practice.

No he’s not on the GMC register. You can look him up on the online register if you really want.

No dr is allowed to prescribe to family & friends

They must keep up their reg and do a certain number of hours of CPD per year

Interesting I always thought they could write prescriptions for friends and family. I may have seen this on TV though.

Wasn't he a phsyciatrist Or am I thinking of somebody else?

Find his correct name and check the GMC website. Easily done.

The adorable Dr Ranj does shifts imagine he was your childs Dr with his cute smooshy face

Harry Hill trained in neurology according to google!

No license

Harry Hill trained in neurology according to google!

Ah right nothing like phsyciatry then.

So if he got sick of comedy and decided to go back to neurosurgery (imagine being told he will be doing your brain surgery) how easy would it be for him to get back to his old career?

As above he’s not got a license to practice. Any registered and licensed doctor can write a private prescription for themselves or their family/friends. It’s not illegal, but the gmc don’t like it. A course of antibiotics is unlikely to get you into trouble but prescribing morphine or diazepam for your best mate won’t go down well! I’ve certainly written the odd private prescription for myself.

You can stay on the medical register, but you won't be able to practice (other than in supervised/training posts) unless your CPD is up to date.

It's not illegal to prescribe for family/friends, but unless something extremely anodyne, then the doctor wouid be on extremely thin ice. Also, most pharmacists will be wary of dispensing a private prescription if they cannot establish the doctor's credentials (GMC number is the key reference, but most will want to see proper letterhead from an estabłished private practice rather than just a letter).

As above, no licence to practice means you can't practice. If you're registered & have a licence you can write private prescriptions for friends/family but it's not encouraged or good practice. Doctors don't have to work a certain number of hours a week/month but do have to engage with regular appraisals and continuing professional development and pay to remain on the register in order to keep working.

Graeme Garden is also a Dr., but has never practised.

I think a Dr can prescribe for family/friends in an emergency.

Doctors can legally prescribe to anyone.

It is customary not to treat your nearest and dearest, but there is no formal bar. And GMC would be interested if they thought there was inappropriate prescribing (it's something you can be struck off for) and the scope to abuse the system is much greater when you cannot demonstrate a proper doctor/patient relationship.

The latest guidance from the GMC, Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices (2013), says GPs ‘must’ avoid prescribing for themselves or ‘anyone with whom they have a close personal relationship’.

*Although the law still allows doctors to prescribe for themselves and those close to them, since 2006 the GMC’s guidance has clearly warned against it.

The dangers of self-medicating or prescribing controlled drugs to family, friends and colleagues are clear – the risk of addiction and misuse. But there are dangers even with less strong analgesics and antibiotics, like the chance of drug interactions through incomplete (or absent) record-keeping and inadequate communication with the regular GP. Most doctors would accept that they’d struggle to remain objective when trying to self-diagnose and self-treat. Many might feel this even more when dealing with family.*

Oh I am very happy to hear that