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/

(Speculation on my behalf here, but I think NHS GIC doctors such as James Barrett take a dim view of private practioners - there are a few NHS doctors who also practise privately, but anyone outside of the small number of NHS specialists is treated with extreme suspicion

I think Helen Webberley identified a complaint against her to the GMC as being made by James Barrett.

'Mike Webberley was charging the 1600 children more than £360 plus £30 a month each

1600?

Has it been confirmed how many children the Webberleys have been issuing prescriptions to?

And what happens if the NHS is dismantled further?

From The Guardian link about Russell Reid upthread.

Six patients brought legal action against the NHS for damages caused by genital surgery that they were rushed into.

Sarah Brown, of the Lib Dem LGBT bonkers wing, shown accompanying Russell Reid out of the hearing. In 2007.

Also, from that article:

"The panel chairman added that Patient C, a convicted paedophile, was still uncertain about his gender identity after having a sex change. The male-to-female transsexual has returned to living as a man and wants surgery to try to reverse his gender reassignment".

But it never happens, right?

That’s good the GMC have acted but they can only do that within the current remit they have which can’t protect children fully enough.

We really need concerted GMC, BMA medical ethical guidance action and as Parliamentary (Commons Health and Social Care Select committee) investigation and action on this.

We need the UK Parliament to take the results of that enquiry (they will be damning) and then Parliament needs to make new laws requiring licensing approval from a regulatory body to be given before any person is legally permitted to permanently trans a child- by which I mean prescribing or providing blockers, hormones and surgery.

We need it to be illegal to get hormones or blockers these off the web in the UK or overseas or send them from overseas into the UK. We need a public education campaign about the permanent, harmful effects of medical and hormonal and surgical interventions, while emphasising that children and young people’s mental health issues need to be better supported.

We don’t have the evidence to show that physical body modifications and harmful drugs are the answer to the pain of gender dysphoria that (some of the) kids attending NHS gender identity clinics are grappling with.

It absolutely shouldn’t be legal to allow parents or children to get these drugs off overseas doctors to consume in the UK. Why are the charities for trans kids not putting out proper health warnings?

And no MP attended a talk at the HoC about medical ethics and the trans agenda and instead Moonie was suspended from the Labour Party and subsequently resigned.

That's telling.

thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3586228-Important-Standing-For-Women-House-of-Lords-Meeting-today-First-Do-No-Harm-The-ethics-of-transgender-healthcare-hosted-Lord-Moonie-focus-on-the-Duty-of-Care

Excellent post chatty.

Details of the Times front page in case anyone missed that: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3553935-Times-article-calls-to-end-transgender-experiment-on-children?pg=1&order=

Some threads referencing healthcare expert Professors like Susan Bewley and other medical colleagues publishing in medical journals on children and the permanent, unevidenced treatments being given to transition them:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3339177-Excellent-BMJ-Article-Responding-to-Previous-One-Featuring-ATH

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3410257-BMJ-article-We-need-research-to-explore-the-interplays-between-gender-identity-mental-health-and-neurodevelopmental-problems-sexual-orientation-autogynephilia-and-unpalatable-gender-roles

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3552430-Posible-answer-to-why-arent-more-doctors-speaking-up

Also evidence based medicine specialist Professor Carl Heneghan: speaking out via BBC interview: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3518188-BMJ-Prof-Carl-Heneghan-Evidence-Based-Medicine-Oxford-Panorama-Trans-Kids-Gender-affirming-hormone-in-children-and-adolescents-Evidence-review-concludes-There-are-significant-problems

We need Parliament to make new law to keep children and young people safe. We need a statutory regulated system, with licensing, case by case application before any child is transitioned medically and frequent regulatory inspection of all the clinical work in this area. Such that eg

-Parliament should make it illegal for anyone but a licensed doctor (whether NHS or private) to give a specific child or person aged under 25 years old, blockers or hormones or surgery except under licensed conditions after a case by case review process. This should be overseen by a regulator with statutory powers (ie legal powers given to them to licence, refuse or revoke a licence)

-Same for surgical egg retrieval and surgical sperm storage for kids and extracting and storing of prepubescent children’s and young people’s ovarian or testicular tissue where they are too young to have made mature eggs or sperm before their fertility is compromised by this treatment.

The law should also require that:

-clinicians who do this work must collect and share their outcomes data for all these patients from medical records so it can be properly researched.

-Binders should be classed as a prescription-only medical product and again only be possible to provide legally under clinical supervision.

-Talking therapy must be made more available and there should be statutory maximum of the waiting times for any young person to speak to a proper professional about these issues. (And for all other issues while we are at it- CAMHS in general needs to be properly supported and funded).

There should be proper government data collection so we know the full picture of what is being provided in both the public and private sector of practice.

-Criminal sanctions for those who break these laws.

-research funders to fund appropriate professional researchers to properly investigate patient outcomes and to run studies to follow up patients very long term in anonymised ways via medical records.

-And also to fund sociological research (like I think James Caspian wanted to do) interviewing de-transitioned people, medically, hormonally and surgically transitioned people, those currently transitioning via services, and young people and children who are having talking therapies only for starters.

-Research should also be funded to talk to family members so they can talk about their experiences of caring for children and young people in this space.

-research with the clinical service providers to talk about their professional experience of doing this work.

Groups with power in this area should all be taking a stand and calling for a select committee inquiry into this NOW. So that would include.

All of the medical and psychological professional societies and royal colleges, the BMA (the doctors’ trade union) and the regulators of medical or psychological practice like the General Medical Council (GMC) who have taken this action.

Plus any organisation who supports research and evidence based medicine, especially in the NHS- like NICE, the NHS in each UK nation, but also the government departments in health, the medical and scientific research funders,
Plus any childrens’ and young people’s paediatric medical groups and bodies.

I’m really sorry to keep posting at length here but we do all need to puullll by contacting the relevant MPs

A House of Commons Health and Social care Select Committee Enquiry is needed to look into all this as a first step to convincing government MPs and Ministers that they need to legislate on this.

We can contact this committee to ask that they look at this. Select committees look at the evidence from all sides:

Here’s how the Commons Health and Social care Select committee works:

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/role/

Sarah Wollaston MP (she’s in the new Independent Group party Change UK) is the committee Chair, she is a GP herself outside of Parliament. Good start. www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/membership/

This Chair has not accepted to date that this is an issue for her committee and seems to see it as a lgbt rights issue when actually it’s a health issue.

But- Select committees need some evidence to start their enquiries- whether evidence of concerning issues or evidence of public concern. We have loads of both of that on FWR threads. TRAs have no evidence, that is why it’s always all #nodebate

So if parents like us just email the committee a few points that we think are important to the committee- copying in our own MPs - and if you want the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock MP- then whether or not we are gender critical or we think that affirmation-only is the way to go, then it can all be heard and looked at in the open.
Nobody can argue against that.

It’s completely unacceptable that all these questions have been raised in the media and by regulators like the GMC and these have not been looked into properly by an impartial body.

Anyone can email the Chair, any member MP (especially if it’s your own MP) and the secretariat of the committee directly who may pass these things on to the Chair to consider. Contact details below:

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/contact-us/

thanks and sorry for the massive post.

Constituents can also make an appointment to see their MP.

Sara Wollaston MP Totnes

Matt Hancock MP West Suffolk etc

Excellent point R0wan.

A person to person conversation is always very helpful at raising the profile of an issue.

This seems particularly pressing to do now given that this week there was a Parliamentary event- i’m sure well attended by Peers who aren’t reliant on the popular vote- but to which only one MP showed up.

To note that is not to critique the event whatsoever. It looked absolutely excellent and extremely important to attend to hear facts and to ask questions of an excellent selection of speakers.

What this 1 MP figure points to is a culture where MPs are being scared off from being able to even listen to facts on what should be a conscience issue. Because they are being told they are bigoted and transphobic for asking any questions.

WTF? Meanwhile, children, young people, detransitioned adults all suffer.

Fuck that.

There’s 650 constituencies represented in the Westminster Parliament.

www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/current-state-of-the-parties/

1600 children more than £360 plus £30 a month each

So just the monthly fees net them £48k a month

I can see why they defend it so robustly.

Redtoothbrush

David Davies a conservative MP was the only MP to attend Lord Moonie's meeting along with Tanni GT from house of Lords. Pretty sorry state of affairs but respect to these 2 for attending.

Presumably the 1600 refers to total number of patients.

So some of those would be adults?

I missed that.. one Peer?
We need to keep shouting and much louder

I actually don’t think the fees sound high enough. Private Psychiatric evaluation for £50? I would expect three or more times that. £50 would probably only buy 10 mins of a psychiatrists time.

I actually don’t think the fees sound high enough. Private Psychiatric evaluation for £50? I would expect three or more times that. £50 would probably only buy 10 mins of a psychiatrists time.

GenderGP 's head of theapy team, Marianne Oakes isn't a psychiatrist or psychologist.
The £50 is fairly average BACP counselling charge.

from GenderGP:
Marianne Oakes (Dip Couns)

Marianne Oakes is a person-centred counsellor working as head of the psychological support team available via GenderGP, specialising in the care of gender questioning patients.

In her role, Marianne works with transgender and gender-questioning clients providing both one to one therapy, family and couples counselling.

Marianne came into this particular branch of therapy after struggling to find a counsellor with the right experience and qualifications to help her with her own journey as a transgender woman.

Over the years she has made many friends who also identify as transgender and in many cases their partners. Marianne has also witnessed her own family’s struggles coming to terms with her gender identity, an experience which has given her the unique insight she brings to her own practice.

Marianne has a particular affinity with trans identified adults, and works very closely with gender questioning children and their families, offering psychological support for the children themselves, and more ambitiously, setting up group therapy online for parents.
Marianne aims to create a non-judgmental space in which parents can talk openly about their own issues in relation to their child’s transition."

gendergp.co.uk/about-us-therapy-team/

I read a case study a while ago by Marianne Oakes which suggested a concerning lack of understanding of Safeguarding frameworks, child development, impact of trauma/abuse & best practice. This may be due to limited experience.

I do wonder how much Mermaids et al are driving paying clients to their door too. The recommendation to parents seems to be to get a referral to GIDS for any child whose parents get in touch with them, just in case it's needed when you get to the top of the waiting list. When the waiting lists become incredibly clogged, direct them to this helpful pair of charlatans.

"I actually don’t think the fees sound high enough".

But all they are doing is affirming someone's self-declared gender identity over the phone.

Jackie is one of their counsellors.

"Jackie is a person-centred counsellor who specialises in working with Trans gender, non-binary or gender-questioning people, and spouses, partners, parents and family members of those who have identified as having gender identity issues. Jackie is in the somewhat unusual position of having significant personal experience of gender identity from various sources; her ex-spouse has transitioned, she has a dual gender child and her husband is bi-gender*.

I do wonder how much Mermaids et al are driving paying clients to their door too.

Prominant parents within the Mermaids community are very supportive of Drs Webberley / Gender GP. Not just as a pragmatic option when facing the consequencesof capacity pressures on the NHS provision but primarily in championing Helen Webberley's affirmative approach.

Some parents within Mermaids are also very critical of what they see is an overly cautious approach at Tavistock GIDS. The public criticism of the service might focus on waiting times but the attacks on the service /staff have been much more fundamental.

DadTrans & FierceMum have been influential
blog: growinguptransgender.com/

Pink News award to Ed Milliband:
"He then made an emotional tribute to “Joe,” the pseudonym for an anonymous father of a trans child who he and award-winning radio host Lloyd interviewed during episode nine of Reasons To Be Cheerful in November last year.

Miliband said that “the podcast worked because of” Joe’s testimony, which was featured alongside interviews with trans campaigner Paris Lees and trans health expert Dr Helen Webberley.

“I learned a lot by listening to him,” Miliband continued.

www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/10/17/pinknews-awards-2018-wins-broadcast-award/

This is a scandal. MPs have to listen. They are the only ones who can change the law. They represent us. That is their job.

If you don’t know how to get hold of your MP the details are here: www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-your-mp/

Contacting your MP is private between you and them by the way.
All we want them to do is ask some questions in Parliament about this. They will get views from all sides, which is the right thing to hear from everyone. But nothing will happen, nothing will change, if MPs don’t start by asking questions.

All we want them to do is ask some questions in Parliament about this. They will get views from all sides, which is the right thing to hear from everyone. But nothing will happen, nothing will change, if MPs don’t start by asking questions.

This is so important.

Some senior health care professionals have whistle blown concerns about the NHS Tavistock service.

Some senior heath care professionals including Drs from NHS GIDS had whistleblown concerns to the GMC about Gender GP & its two doctors Dr Helen Webberley & Dr Mike Webberley. Both have been suspended.

An in depth inquiry is urgently required to investigate the concerns and allegations.
As with any inquiry, the conclusions will not be established until this happens.
NHS & government have a Duty of Care to children.
Failing to start an inquiry in the wake of GMC findings and also whistleblowing of Safeguarding issues is very serious & contrary to all established good practice.

background:
2017 Helen Webberley was suspended by GMC as she prescribed cross sex hormones to children contrary to NHS guidelines:

"The investigation was launched after two GPs complained to the GMC about Dr Webberley's private clinic, which specialises in gender issues.

She told the BBC she had given cross-sex hormone treatment to one 12-year-old and three 15-year-olds, despite NHS guidelines that they be given at about 16 or over.

"There are many children under 16 who are desperate to start what they would consider their natural puberty earlier than that," Dr Webberley told BBC Wales"
www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-41213534

October 2018:
Helen Webberley was found guilty of criminal charges following prosecution by Health Inspectorate Wales:

"HIW has today successfully prosecuted Online GP Services Ltd and Dr Helen Webberley for illegally providing online healthcare services which require registration under the Care Standards Act 2000"
hiw.org.uk/news/onlinegpprosecution?lang=en

it seems extraordinary that Drs Helen & Mike Webberley are openly moving their online business again in order to evade UK safeguards and inspection of medical services

How can such out and out quacks still operate? Proper snake oil salespeople.

This Chair has not accepted to date that this is an issue for her committee and seems to see it as a lgbt rights issue when actually it’s a health issue.

We really need to move the discussion into the areas of health and education. It has remained as a lgbt rights issue because of the transactivists' insistence that 'being trans is not an illness'. Well, if it's not an illness, why do children need to be medicated with powerful drugs, and prepared for surgery and a lifetime of being a medical patient?

We really need to move the discussion into the areas of health and education. It has remained as a lgbt rights issue because of the transactivists' insistence that 'being trans is not an illness'.

All children should be accorded the same levels of Safeguarding & Duty of Care.
Health, Education & Social Care professionals should not be sidelined from scrutinising how one particular group of vulnerable children are treated.