How Dare You Challenge A Doctor!

Some readers may remember Dr George Rae, a spokesman for the BMA who told the BBC that - in his 'expert' opinion - e-cigs are more dangerous than smoking. You can hear a recording of his truth-free nonsense in this post, or read the transcript here.

This is quite obviously utter garbage, and especially disturbing because it comes from a doctor who - for some unfathomable reason - is a member of a profession people tend to trust above others. It disturbed Clive Bates enough that he wrote to the General Medical Council to complain, which he has recounted in this article which I highly recommend you read.

The purpose of the complaint, it seemed to me, was that it might mean that someone would speak to Rae and tell him to stop being so ignorant before spouting cockwaffle in future. You know, try to know the facts before pretending on the radio that he's an 'expert'. None of that happened, in fact the GMC didn't even query Rae as to what evidence he had read to come up with such weapons grade crackpottery. No investigation even took place!

Instead, the GMC repeatedly replied that Dr Rae is allowed to say whatever he wants - no matter how false, misleading and dangerous to those who want to quit smoking it may be - because, well, it's not an important matter.

Yes. Really!

In this instance, we did not open an investigation into your concerns because we do not believe they are serious enough to suggest we may need to restrict or remove Dr Rae’s registration or ability to work.

Not serious enough? So what has the past decade of incessant, wall-to-wall panic-mongering around smoking been all about if the GMC think a doctor putting people off quitting is no big deal? As Bates surmises.

One argument was that the concerns were too trivial to warrant further investigation.  Many doctors would recognise smoking as the single most important source of preventable disease (they never stop parroting it, FFS! - DP), and GPs are collectively paid over £80 million through their contracts to reduce smoking around £10,000 for the average sized practice  It seems to us to be the height of irresponsibility to give the public demonstrably false information and so exaggerate the risks of alternatives to smoking.

So next time any doctor tells you how you must quit smoking, or tells you - in the media or anywhere else - that tobacco harm is a major health problem - tell them that it's no biggie and they should just chillax ... because the GMC says so. Politicians might want to stop spunking our taxes on such inconsequential and unimportant overheads as tobacco control industry lobbyists too.

Meanwhile, the BMA have today been holding their annual conference under the hashtag #ARMlive, so a few enthusiastic vapers sent Bates's blog their way to see what they thought of such a whitewash. In amongst the tumbleweed there was this piece of absurd wagon-circling.

Vaping enthusiasts persecute doctor urging caution: http://t.co/G6I6Cv4Qi9

— Peter English (@petermbenglish) June 23, 2015

Yes, apparently, asking the doctors' regulator to regulate doctors and call fraudulent claims to account is deemed as 'persecution'. How very dare they challenge a cardinal of the Church of Public Health with mere facts, eh?

Do go read Bates's blog in its entirety and be amazed at the dismissive arrogance of these people.