BMJ  2006;332:855 (8 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7545.855-b

Letter

Guantanamo: a call for action

Would GMC dismiss a complaint against Guantanamo doctor?

EDITOR—Recently the Californian Medical Board dismissed a complaint of medical mistreatment brought against Dr E.^{1 2} The complaint was dismissed because Dr E was superintendent of medical services at Guantanamo. He works for the military.^{1 2}

By dismissing the complaint on these grounds the board has clearly subjugated its authority to the army and legitimised the employment of a modern day state inquisitor. We think that our own General Medical Council acts just as spinelessly, abrogating its responsibilities to unnamed military authorities.

In 2004 one of us (AR) asked the legal adviser to the GMC to consider a report that British doctors regularly supported torture (sorry, "stressing") sessions.³ He wrote to the British Surgeon General's Office, who "rejected any suggestion of British Forces being involved in torture." More importantly, he informed us that the GMC would not investigate the claim, not because he doubted its seriousness but because the council has a policy of not investigating claims of professional misconduct unless a doctor is named.⁴ This stance is clearly absurd. For example, it means that many prisoners who have obviously been abused can never file a complaint because they can never identify the abusing doctor through being hooded, brain damaged, or sedated. recently reported force feeding of detainees by the British in Basra? The British army spokesman refused to give names or other details when requested by one of us (CB-C).

Given the column feet devoted to the abuse of military prisoners, we believe the public and profession could reasonably expect the GMC to issue clear guidelines for doctors working in the military and act when these are not adhered to. We could also expect the GMC to adopt investigative procedures suitable for military situations.

What action will it take over the current military actions against Dr Kendall-Smith?⁵ We suggest the GMC does whatever is necessary to remove these Kafkaesque anomalies. It might do well to seek help from Amnesty International, Medact, and Doctors for Human Rights.

We apologise to the GMC if our interpretation is incorrect.

Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 7PB chris.burns-cox{at}virgin.net

Birmingham Heartlands Primary Care Trust, Birmingham B15 3RU

Newton Abbott, Devon TQ13 9XR

Sparkbrook, Birmingham B12 8HE

University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT

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Competing interests: None declared.

References

1. Tanne J. Lawyers will appeal ruling that cleared Guantanamo doctor of ethics violations. BMJ 2005;331: 180.[Free Full Text]
2. Dyer O. Force feeding at Guantanamo breaches ethics, doctors say. BMJ 2006;332: 569. (11 March.)[Free Full Text]
3. McManners H. The truth about torture and interrogation. Independent 2004 May 12: 37.
4. Correspondence available.
5. Dyer O. RAF doctor will face court martial for refusing to return to Iraq. BMJ 2006;332: 748. (1 April.)[Free Full Text]

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