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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Harrop MPTS Hearing

986 replies

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 19/10/2021 16:18

I thought this may be of interest:

www.mpts-uk.org/hearings-and-decisions/medical-practitioners-tribunals/dr-adrian-harrop-nov-21

The tribunal will inquire into the allegation that from 10 May 2018 to 23 November 2019, Dr Harrop inappropriately used his Twitter account to post tweets that were offensive and/or insulting and/or inappropriate in nature and some of which were intended to intimidate.

OP posts:
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Cwenthryth · 17/11/2021 06:49

Surely any public comment about someone else’s health/mental health - like calling someone MH-related slurs etc - is offensive objectively whoever does it, but becomes more inappropriate when done by a practicing doctor who has privileges and responsibilities around diagnosis? The tribunal tweets seemed to suggest that “offensive” would be a worse thing than “inappropriate” but surely that’s not the case in every instance.

Sophoclesthefox · 17/11/2021 07:17

Thanks for the explanation, @Motorina, very clear, and even better for being cake based Grin

JustcameoutGC · 17/11/2021 07:55

@Cwenthryth i would be surprised if there werent very specific social media guidelines for doctors dealing with how they shouldn't attempt or appear to diagnose anyone on SM, or make insinuations about their health.

I mean, if i call your kid ugly on facebook that is bad, but if a paediatrician does it, that us vvvvvv bad, and likely professional misconduct

Huckleberries73 · 17/11/2021 08:07

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

AlfonsoTheUnrepentant · 17/11/2021 08:29

Thank you, @Motorina, for the amazing insight.

And I love everyone's cake analogies.

Lovelyricepudding · 17/11/2021 08:44

I am suspicious of this 'looking at one tweet at a time to decide if it is offensive'. Fortunately I have never been stalked but I can well imagine a series of actions such as leaving flowers and little gifts on your doorstep, tweeting you look tired and shold take a rest, offering to meet for a coffee etc that individually would look totally innocuous or even pleasant and would need to be taken in context to be seen for the abusive gaslight in they are.

FannyCann · 17/11/2021 08:50

I also remember tweets from another Twitter doctor who is comparatively young, tweets quite personal stuff, has a rainbow in his profile and is very out warning him that he should stop.

But he wasn't above dishing out similar advice to someone more junior than him. In fact although he mostly targeted women he did occasionally go for men - especially those in a more inferior nhs role.

Harrop MPTS Hearing
Harrop MPTS Hearing
Motorina · 17/11/2021 09:07

@Lovelyricepudding

I am suspicious of this 'looking at one tweet at a time to decide if it is offensive'. Fortunately I have never been stalked but I can well imagine a series of actions such as leaving flowers and little gifts on your doorstep, tweeting you look tired and shold take a rest, offering to meet for a coffee etc that individually would look totally innocuous or even pleasant and would need to be taken in context to be seen for the abusive gaslight in they are.
That's partly what they're arguing about. The defence has said that the GMC must explicitely state which tweets are offensive or whatever. They're trying to knock them down one at a time.

Right now, for example, they're arguing about which of the tweets he admits were actually about E.

Then they'll argue about which, if any, were offensive.

They're hoping to knock off so many that the impact of what's left is minimised.

In cake terms, the GMC are saying "You ate the lot" and he's saying, "I had the blueberry muffin and the iced bun, I licked the brownie but didn't eat it, and I didn't touch the jammy donut."

However, the GMC have made it clear in their submissions that part of their criticism is the sheer volume of tweets. (It doesn't matter which specific cakes you ate, what matters is you scoffed more than your fair share.)

That approach is also clear in the charges. Charge 14 breaks down individual tweets. Once charge 14 is found, then charge 15, in particular 15b ("intended to intimidate") and 15c ("part of a campaign of cyber bullying"), invite the panel to consider the impact of all the tweets as a package.

I agree with what you say about stalking and the need to look in context. But, before you can look at the behaviour in the round, you have to actually prove that the flowers, and the gifts, and the concerned tweets, and the invitations had in fact all come from the stalker. So, to lay out your stalking example as charges, it might read.

  1. You behaved inappropriately to person A, in that:
1a On 1st Jan, you sent her flowers 1b On 4th Jan, you left chocolates on her doorstep 1c On 7th Jan, you left her a card 1d Between 12th and 14th Jan you sent her a series of romantic texts 1e On 17th Jan you went up to her at work and said, "You look really tired" 1f On 18th Jan you asked her for coffee

2 Your actions in paragraph one were
2a Intended to intimidate
2b Were sexually motivated
2c Continued after she asked you to stop

Then at stage two, the question will be, "Does repeatedly approaching someone, after they've asked you to stop, in a way which is intimidating and sexually motivated count as misconduct?"

Hopefully that makes sense? It's a very particular way of making structured decisions, which can seem quite artificial. But it's designed to make it transparent to everyone exactly what the criticisms are.

Lovelyricepudding · 17/11/2021 09:16

Thanks Motorina that is helpful.

FindTheTruth · 17/11/2021 09:32

Lovely yes the series of collected tweets could show a coercive abusive 'relationship' over months whereas single tweets don't have that context. Can MPTS chairs understand this as well as say a court judge?

Motorina · 17/11/2021 09:55

@FindTheTruth they certainly should be able to!

In fact their guidance will distinguish between ‘one off’ and ‘repeated’ misconduct when it comes to risk of reputation and thus proportionate sanction.

FindTheTruth · 17/11/2021 10:04

@Motorina thank you for all your expertise on this x

nettie434 · 17/11/2021 10:25

But he wasn't above dishing out similar advice to someone more junior than him

I hadn't seen those tweets, FannyCann. I see one person has made a very pithy comment to his advice Grin

Thanks for all the background information, Motorina. The tribunal tweeters are doing a great job too.

Terfasaurus · 17/11/2021 10:43

There’s been a technical hitch so tribunal tweets aren’t there.

This wonderful lady is doing a great job instead.

twitter.com/selfcommit2othe/status/1460918768230711298?s=21

AH sworn in. Confirmed statements. Now being asked GMC about when active on Twitter. Became active 2018/2018. Joined trans debate March/April 2018.

Lengthy debate on AH understanding of social media use. Saying he didn’t understand until recently. Policy states Dr’s must not change on SM from that in person. Didn’t read SM policy. Understands now that he should have been aware. ‘Didn’t enter my head’ how it could affect GMC.

PronounssheRa · 17/11/2021 10:46

Didn’t read SM policy

Even after his 2 written warnings, really?

Artichokeleaves · 17/11/2021 10:51

How exactly does that fit with Monday when he said despite the verbal reminding and explaining of his duties ordered in response to complaints, followed up by two written warnings when he still did not cease and desist, that he was using his platform for good?

Is he really going to go for lack of competency to understand policy, explanations and warnings, or basic common sense and professional standards?

Motorina · 17/11/2021 10:58

I would be astonished if the doctors standards don't have something along the lines of "You must keep up to date with the requiremetns of your profession". In other words there's a positive duty to know the standards and follow them.

I don't konw for sure (it's not my profession) but they would be out of kilter with the other professions if they don't have that.

If that's the case, ignorance is no excuse.

RoyalCorgi · 17/11/2021 11:15

If that's the case, ignorance is no excuse.

It's certainly not an excuse in a court of law, so I assume the same applies here. In any case, you really don't need to have read your professional guidelines in depth to be able to figure out that doctors shouldn't be abusing people, threatening them, intimidating them or proffering fake diagnoses. If you haven't got the intellectual or moral capacity to grasp that, you probably shouldn't be a doctor in the first place.

Terfasaurus · 17/11/2021 11:36

This is astonishing.

SM use for Dr’s published & came into effect in April 2013. Brought to AH attention in May 2018. Did you read? No. Other policies discussed. SM & best practice guidance. BMC for Med students. Code of Ethics. AH said not aware.

22.05.18 meeting with Prof Kumar. SM policy discussed. July 2018. 1st formal meeting. Complaint. GMC did you believe was part of a wider transphobic network? AH - Yes. GMC - did you think any merit? No. GMC Was you aware of how the public would perceive you? No. Thought vexatious

YetAnotherSpartacus · 17/11/2021 11:39

which begs the question of what other vital policies and/or elements of professional development and best medical practice he is also unaware of...

Sophoclesthefox · 17/11/2021 11:43

Is he going for “I didn’t know any of this” because, implausible and boggling as it is that he didn’t know, it’s something that could be fixed? So his defence will be- now he’s had his card marked, he will read up on all of the guidelines and requirements, have a road to Damascus moment about how he should be adhering to them, promises that he will, then he’s off on his merry way?

mammajustkilledagnat · 17/11/2021 11:46

I would let him change a lightbulb at this point, let alone provide any level of care to another human being. He's coming across as completely incompetent - which is not the best defense.

mammajustkilledagnat · 17/11/2021 11:46

*wouldn't

PronounssheRa · 17/11/2021 11:48

Ishe going for “I didn’t know any of this”

Appears so, but his 2 previous written warnings already marked his cards, but Harrop chose to ignore those.

Motorina · 17/11/2021 11:50

If anyone wants to read them, the GMC's standards, including on social media, are at: www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors#good-medical-practice

The main guidance "Good Medical Practice" includes these standards:

11 You must be familiar with guidelines and developments that affect your work.

12 You must keep up to date with, and follow, the law, our guidance and other regulations relevant to your work.

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