Dr Mike Webberley suspended

[Brighterf]

Seems like Dr Mike Webberley has now also been suspended and he and his wife now plan to take their services overseas. Can't see this reported elsewhere yet though.

www.gaystarnews.com/article/mike-webberley-suspended-trans-kids/

No. In some instances it is cheaper to buy it directly than pay prescription charges. But in many other cases the NHS is providing a huge subsidy. Plus many people don't pay charges.

I assume Dr W is writing private prescriptions for overseas patients so they pay the list price. But they do benefit from the NHS' bulk buying power.

Any NHS managers around? How is the cost difference between the prescription cost and the cost of the drug paid for?

So the prescription charge you pay doesn’t cover the full cost of the drug?

Not for an NHS prescription. It's a flat rate which may be more than the cost of a cheap generic drug, but a lot less than the cost of the drug for some others.

Ah, that makes sense Need

I got antibiotics on a private prescription once (from private dentist for an abscess - ouch). Had to pay the dentist for the prescription but only paid pharmacist about £3.50 for the drugs (generic antibiotics are quite cheap).

I think when you go to a chemist to have an NHS prescription filled, you can ask how much it would cost to pay privately, and pay whichever is cheapest. I tend not to but on the few occasions when I have had private prescriptions the drugs prescribed have been surprisingly cheap. A lot depends on whether they are still under patent. Drug companies have to fund their research somehow, so prices of new drugs are way higher than manufacturing costs.

(Off topic but illustration of the Webberlys fine eye for an imperfect market and the scope for a profit.)

This is what one of the articles says about the drug pricing.

By selling medications to Mainers at prices patients pay in Britain — which negotiates drug costs under the publicly funded National Health Service — Great British Drugstore can offer steep discounts, O’Brien said.

For example, Great British Drugstore markets a pack of 28 40-milligram pills of Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering medication, at $108.40. The same pills cost more than double that at pharmacies including CVS, Walmart and Walgreens, according to the site.

So it seems to be as you say, Needmoresleep - they're taking advantage of the NHS negotiated rates for the drugs. But the one in the example clearly isn't something you'd be able to buy for less than the cost of an NHS prescription.

Anyway, it looks as though the profits from this particular venture won't have been great, since Maine repealed the law allowing drug imports early in 2015.

bangordailynews.com/2015/02/24/health/judge-overturns-maine-law-allowing-prescription-drug-imports/

Is that about the time GenderGP was set up?

One market dries up...find another.

Which does little for any claims that it is all about supporting transgender people.

And Mermaids might be judged for the company they keep, given they have been clearly signposting families and children in Gender GPs direction.

Thanks for the link Caro, signed.

Carowiththegoodhair

As this petition has just been launched (currently >10 signatures) can you shed any light on who has set it up please?
I feel I don't really understand enough about CitizenGo petitions.

Hi Rowantrees

I set it up. Signing it simply means that you support that individual petition.

Ok, thanks for clarifying, not sure why it wasnt made clear that its yours?

I think its important to know the background to petitions (general principle not specific here)

I only came across citizengo recently. Its not been on my radar.

Fair enough. All that happens in this instance is that Matt Hancock and Sarah Wollaston will be notified of the signatures and can choose whether or not to take notice.

You can sign the petition & decide whether or not to opt in to further updates. It doesn’t commit you to any wider cause and neither are you counted as being a member of anything.

Just putting it out there.

I think transparency is important.

from wiki:

"CitizenGO is an ultraconservative advocacy group founded in Madrid, Spain, in 2013 by HazteOir.

The foundation promotes petitions in 50 countries, including petitions defending Christian and Catholic causes, and those opposing same-sex marriage, abortion, and euthanasia"

So no caro I won't be signing.

No problem Rowan

Just putting it out there for those who do. Let’s not derail the thread.

Take care.

Its not derailing the thread.

You've started a petition which references a lot of the comments on this thread.

You didn't explain that its yours nor did you clarify the nature of the site.

There are very serious Safeguarding and Duty of Care issues with the Webberley's practice. Its important to make these concerns known and also important should person/people seek to become representatives for concerns that women know who they are and what their wider position is.

People should contact their MPs and the various ministers involved with health and Safeguarding.

Any petition should be absolutely transparent.

Just to clarify. I’m not seeking to become a representative for people’s concerns. I wrote a petition with the intention of putting pressure on the change-makers.

That’s all. No big issue. I’ll get the mods to pull if it’s a problem.

I’ve asked the mods to pull the post. I really don’t want an argument. Thanks.

Caro Im unsure why you're now characterising this as an argument.

Its not.

Its a civilised exchange about your petition.

Caro
Since your petition is directed at the UK government, have you thought about putting it on the UK Parliament petition site? If 10,000 people sign, the government has to respond.

A UK government petition sounds like a great idea!

A UK government petition sounds like a great idea!

Yep. It's the only one that can't completely ignore.

Excellent! It is great to be starting petitions, of all political stripes. Everybody puuuullllllllll