The GMC: Fit to Practice?

The General Medical Council:Fit to Practise?
Hilarie Williams, Christoph Lees & Magnus Boyd
The GMC: Fit to Practise?

www.civitas.org.uk
Authors Hilarie Williams has a special interest in the social history of medicine and the development of health policy. She graduated in medicine in 1978 and, in 1987, joined the fledgling AIDS unit at the (then) DHSS. Over the next 16 years, Hilarie worked in various health policy areas and she was Senior Medical Adviser to the Department for Education and Employment from 1994 to 2000. She currently combines part time work in medical research with being a carer and she is active in voluntary sector support for people with learning disabilities and autism. Hilarie has studied humanities with the Open University and was awarded an MSc (distinction) in the History and Philosophy of Medicine, Science and Society by Birkbeck College (University of London) in 2011. She continues to enjoy exploring historical perspectives of medicine, the medical profession and health policy.

Christoph Lees has taken an interest in medical regulation, healthcare funding and access to high cost treatments. He was a founder member of Doctors for Reform (2002-2012) and the Civitas Doctors’ Policy Research Group (2013), and was Chairman of the Local Negotiating Committee at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, 2011-2013.
He has informally and formally mentored many doctors who underwent disciplinary and other procedures and assessments.
Christoph is a Consultant in Obstetrics & Fetal – Maternal Medicine in London and Visiting Professor at KU Leuven, Belgium. He trained at Guy’s, King’s College and St George’s Hospitals in London and obtained subspecialty accreditation at the Harris
Birthright Centre for Fetal Medicine. He has authored Pregnancy Questions and Answers (Dorling Kindersley 1997, 2001 & 2007), Making Sense of Obstetric Doppler (Arnold 2002) and has 120+ research papers in prenatal diagnosis and
ultrasound. He runs practical and theory courses in ultrasound and fetal medicine in the UK and abroad in locations such as Peru, El Salvador and India.

Magnus Boyd is a partner at Hill Dickinson LLP who has developed a niche practice in protecting the privacy and reputations of surgeons, doctors, Hospital Trusts and their Chief Executives, and others in the medical sphere. Clinicians consult Magnus over potential libel claims involving professional colleagues, staff, ratings websites, and other fora on which patients and competitors may defame them. In 2013 Magnus was behind the first reinvestigation into a serious untoward incident report that was defamatory. Magnus frequently litigates against broadcasters and national newspapers on behalf of doctors and surgeons to
vindicate damage to their reputations. Magnus has also successfully represented a number of GPs and consultants in ‘fitness to practice’ proceedings before the GMC. He is frequently asked to advise on internal complaint processes and grievance procedures between consultants and their hospital trusts. Magnus is the approved solicitor for the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and his medical reputation protection work has been recognised by his peers, and Chambers and Partners since 2007.

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