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Doctor puts children in harm’s way
A medical tribunal has found Dr Helen Webberley put patients at “unwarranted risk of harm” by failing to provide follow-up care in 2016 after she prescribed testosterone to a 12 and 17-year-old.
Earlier this year her husband was found guilty of prescribing wrong treatments to at least seven patients.
Even though the tribunal said it was satisfied Dr Webberley would implement changes if she returned to practice, they are yet to decide whether they will sanction her.
Wemberley and her husband founded a website called GenderGP. Both have been accused of failing to provide good clinical care to patients. A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel found 36 allegations to be proved, but 83 others were not.
The tribunal said Wemberley had since “obtained insight” and would implement changes if she returned to practice but a decision is yet to be made regarding this.
“The tribunal has found that Dr Webberley's misconduct in this regard did put Patients A and B at unwarranted risk of harm.
“In the tribunal's view, an informed member of the public would be surprised if a finding of impairment on public interest grounds were not made in those circumstances.
“It therefore finds that Dr Webberley's fitness to practise is impaired on wider public interest grounds.”
The panel also found Dr Webberley failed an 11-year-old, referred to as Patient C, by not discussing risks to fertility at a consultation before prescribing GnHRa, or puberty blockers.
It said: “The tribunal did not consider that Dr Webberley has developed sufficient understanding as to the significance of how she failed Patient C in regard to discussing fertility, and as to how she can be sure that this will not be repeated.”
Kirralie Smith, spokeswoman for Binary, said a sanction should be imposed.
“Ideology should not trump best medical practice,” he said.
“Failing to care for children and putting them on treatments that cause irreversible harm is appalling.
“Doctors ought to be trusted and when they fail in their duty of care there needs to be consequences.”
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