Tribunal of Dr Helen Webberley I - Facts Stage
Tribunal of Dr Helen Webberley I - Facts Stage
How it began
The MPTS (Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service) hearing in relation to Dr Helen Webberley was initiated following a complaint in December 2016, by Peter Hindmarsh, a professor of paediatric endocrinology at University College London. Following investigation of the complaint, HW was suspended from practicing as a doctor on an interim basis in December 2018. A hearing was then scheduled to hear evidence on the allegations against her which are summarised here and copied below.
The tribunal will inquire into the allegation that, between March 2016 and November 2016, Dr Webberley failed to provide good clinical care to three patients, and that in September 2016 she prescribed inappropriately to two patients.
The tribunal will also inquire into the allegation that, on 10 January 2017, during an unannounced CQC inspection of Dr Matt Limited where Dr Webberley was the Safeguarding Lead, she was unaware of, and had never seen, the safeguarding policy.
The tribunal will further inquire into allegations that Dr Webberley’s conduct was dishonest in relation to information she provided to the GMC and the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and in her failure to provide relevant information to a pharmacy.
The tribunal will inquire into the allegation that, when acting as the principal provider of the Gender GP website, Dr Webberley attempted to avoid the regulatory framework of the United Kingdom,
The tribunal will also inquire into the allegation that, on 5 October 2018 at Mid Wales (Merthyr Tydfil) Magistrates’ Court, Dr Webberley was convicted of two counts in relation to the carrying on or managing of an independent medical agency without being registered under the Care Standards Act 2000, and was fined £12,000.
Facts Stage
There are three stages to an MPTS hearing as set out here. We began our reporting on day 1 of the hearing for a finding on the facts which ran from 26 July 2021 to 5 Oct 2021 and again between 11th and 22nd April 2022.
In February 2022, while waiting for the determination on the facts, the Interim Orders Tribunal restored HW’s practice subject to "close clinical supervision, a ban on prescribing any drugs, and a requirement to keep a log detailing every consultation with a transgender patient". By this time HW had been suspended for longer than the maximum period possible under the initial restrictions order. See this short thread on the details:
Determination on the facts was handed down 22 April 2022 and ran to 203 pages. The full determination can be read here.
36 allegations were proven and 83 allegations were unproven. See here for a report on the outcome by Dave Hewitt No Competence Needed - by Dave Hewitt - Void if removed (substack.com).
Following this, HW’s fitness to practice was judged as impaired and sanctions were applied. Please go to Tribunal of Dr. Helen Webberley II - Impairment and Sanctions for more details.
Press coverage
Here are links to a selection of relevant press coverage about HW’s case. These links are included without comment and are not endorsed by Tribunal Tweets. This is a sample of coverage only, with most recent first - it is not comprehensive. Please DM our main Twitter account to submit coverage from an established news outlet. Any paywalled article must be archived.
28 February 2024 - The Telegraph - NHS Issues Urgent Warning For Discredited Gender Clinic