Transgender children GP: Helen Webberley wins suspension appeal
- Published
Dr Helen Webberley won an appeal at the High Court on Friday
A GP offering treatment for transgender patients online has won a High Court appeal against her suspension as a doctor and can now work again.
Dr Helen Webberley has been unable to practise medicine since last year after a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel found she committed serious misconduct.
But on Friday, a High Court judge said the panel's determination was "wrong".
Dr Webberley said she was celebrating a return to her "life saving work".
She worked as a GP in south Wales, in locations including Blaina, Blaenau Gwent, and Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, before starting her online business.
Mr Justice Jay had considered arguments at a recent High Court hearing in London and outlined his conclusions in a written ruling published online, saying the panel had been dealing with a "case of the utmost complexity and sensitivity".
"The [panel's] thinking was confused, clearly wrong in places, and it omitted reference to important evidence," said Mr Justice Jay.
He added: "This appeal must be allowed on the ground that the [panel's] determination on the issue of misconduct was wrong."
Barrister Peter Mant, representing the General Medical Council, had outlined the background to the case at the hearing - telling the judge that allegations against Dr Webberley concerned her treatment of "three transgender children or adolescents and various other matters".
Mr Mant said the sanction imposed related to "one head of charge, concerning one patient" who was not named at the hearing but identified as Patient C.
Patient C was a teenager "assigned female at birth" who identified as male, said Mr Mant.
"The misconduct for which the sanction was imposed concerned failure to provide good clinical care to a transgender child (Patient C) in not discussing the risks before commencing treatment with puberty blockers," he told the judge.
Helen Webberley founded a website called GenderGP
"The tribunal found that suspension was necessary to protect the public as the appellant did not have insight into her failings," he said.
Mr Justice Jay said he had "concerns" about "certain aspects" of Dr Webberley's "practice" in relation to Patient C - including a "failure to have a face-to-face consultation on the issue of fertility".
But he added: "It is far from clear to me that what did take place should be strongly criticised."
The judge went on: "The sole focus of this appeal has been the quality of the appellant's clinical practice in relation to one patient, Patient C.
"This appeal does not raise any wider issues about the wisdom or otherwise of administering puberty blockers to the younger age group who wish to undergo interventions for gender reassignment with full parental agreement."
He said Dr Webberley's case "ends here" and would not be remitted to a tribunal panel for redetermination.
In a statement on her website, Dr Helen Webberley thanked her supporters and said she had faced "discrimination" because of her work.
"Today marks the day where I am free to practise in my profession again," she said.
"The GMC proceedings against me are over, and I have been fully cleared to continue my work. The High Court judge has ordered that the case be closed with no further action.
"I am simply a well-meaning, well-educated GP who was willing to learn how best to provide this care and I was brave enough to stand against the outdated NHS model of care which is evidently not fit for purpose in its current state.
"It seems a long time ago that I had my first trans patient and set out to change the world for the better. There is a long way to go, but I know that equality and justice will prevail, it always does, we have seen that through history."
According to her website, Dr Webberley was a GP in South Wales from 2005 to 2016 and started her GenderGP private clinic online in 2015.
In 2018, Dr Webberley was convicted of running an independent medical agency without being registered.
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