Telegraph- 'Reckless' doctor struck off after giving puberty blockers to nine-year-old

'Reckless' doctor struck off after giving puberty blockers to nine-year-old

Michael Webberley’s treatment of 24 patients was deemed a 'catalogue of failings' and 'fundamentally incompatible with being a doctor'

A "reckless" doctor who wrongly prescribed puberty blockers to a transgender nine-year-old child after a ten minute chat on Skype has been struck off.

Michael Webberley’s treatment of 24 patients was deemed a "catalogue of failings" between February 2017 and June 2019, a tribunal found.

Seven of these patients related to GenderGP, a controversial private online clinic which a Telegraph investigation found was willing to prescribe sex change drugs and puberty blockers to children as young as 12 without asking them to talk to a doctor.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) imposed its most severe sanction on Wednesday, erasing Dr Webberley from the medical register.

It ruled that his behaviour was "fundamentally incompatible with being a doctor" and amounted to "serious misconduct".

Acted 'outside the limits of his expertise'

The tribunal found he had acted "outside the limits of his expertise" as a consultant gastroenterologist, and without the necessary qualifications and training in general practice, transgender medicine or paediatrics.

Several doctors raised concerns about his treatment with the General Medical Council (GMC), which subsequently investigated and he was later suspended.

In one case in 2018, Dr Webberley prescribed sex-change treatment to a nine-year-old girl who wanted to be a boy after the child’s parents contacted the GenderGP service.

Dr Webberley prescribed the child hormone blocker treatment following a Skype call lasting 20 minutes, with him "actually having spoken to Patient V (the child) for only ten minutes". A questionnaire provided was also inadequate for her age, the tribunal found.

'No physical examination'

The tribunal said it was "striking" that Dr Webberley’s first email reply to the child’s parents "appeared to anticipate puberty blocker treatment before he could possibly have known that a diagnosis of gender dysphoria was appropriate", or that the treatment was appropriate.

There was "no physical examination" of the patient, the Tribunal determined, and there was "no evidential basis" beyond the parents' concerns for Dr Webberley’s view that "there is a very real risk of self-harm and mental health issues" if puberty was allowed to progress further.

The MPTS handed down an immediate order of suspension on Dr Webberley on Wednesday, meaning that he cannot practise during a 28-day appeal period before erasure comes into effect. It handed down the sanction after finding that his fitness to practise is impaired.

'Liable in the future to put patients at risk'

The tribunal, which has been ongoing since March, said "all of the patients were exposed to a real or a potential risk of harm".

"In the absence of any expression of regret and/or remorse, insight and/or remediation, Dr Webberley is liable in the future to put patients at risk, bring the medical profession into disrepute, breach fundamental tenets of the profession and act dishonestly," it added.

The tribunal also ruled that Dr Webberley's "disregard" for good medical practice "was reckless" and that he had "breached fundamental tenets of the medical profession". 

'Only appropriate sanction'

It concluded: "Erasing Dr Webberley’s name from the medical register is the only appropriate sanction in order to meet the overarching objective which is to protect patients, maintain public confidence in the medical profession and uphold proper professional standards."

Dr Webberley ran GenderGP with his wife and fellow GP, Dr Helen Webberley, who has received an interim suspension by the MPTS while a tribunal is ongoing.

A Telegraph investigation previously found that the online clinic used a legal loophole to flout NHS rules to issue valid prescriptions, which can then be used to obtain the medication from pharmacies in Britain, after the clinic was relocated to Spain in 2019. The pair are no longer listed as directors.

GenderGP was contacted for comment.

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