The authorities should be held to account for Southall’s wrecked career

Southall’s wrecked career is a tragedy.1 Unfortunately, all judicial systems (including General Medical Council (GMC) fitness to practise procedures) have their imperfections. When consultants employed by the NHS or university have to defend themselves in judicial proceedings on account of actions taken during work for the NHS or university, surely they should consider this part of the job. Doctors must recognise that the process of determining contentious issues often causes personal stress and should accept it as part of their role.

When all of these proceedings conclude with an acquittal or the absence of any case to answer it is surely wrong for the doctor to incur financial penalties. The profession should strongly support Southall in taking proceedings against the GMC to recover his probable financial loss, and the organisations of the profession—such as the BMA, his royal college and willing donors, and hopefully his defence organisation—should join in financing such proceedings. Of course, he may prefer to walk away from his nightmare, but I would hope that he would consider making such proceedings the apotheosis of his academic contribution to child protection by holding the authorities to account.