STORY: "The doctor who broke up families: Psychiatrist who damned hundreds as 'unfit parents' faces GMC (General Medical Council) probe," by reporter Katherine Faulkner, published on March 16, 2012 in The Daily Mail."
SUB-HEADINGS: "Dr. George Hibbert could be struck off over his conclusions that hundreds of patients had 'personality disorders'..."Millionaire is now being investigated over shocking suggestions he distorted the assessments to fit the view of social services."..."Lib Dem writes to Justice Secretary Ken Clarke demanding a full public inquiry."
GIST: "A leading psychiatrist faces extraordinary claims he deliberately misdiagnosed parents with mental disorders – decisions which meant their children were taken away from them. Dr George Hibbert faces being struck off over his conclusions that hundreds had ‘personality disorders’ after assessing them at his private family centre. He was paid hundreds of thousands of pounds by social services for the reports which tore children from their parents – many of them young mothers. He is now being investigated over shocking suggestions he distorted the assessments to fit the view of social services. In one case, he is alleged to have wrongly diagnosed a ‘caring’ new mother – named only as Miss A – with bipolar disorder because her local authority wanted the baby adopted. After being confronted with this allegation, Dr Hibbert offered to surrender his licence to practise as a doctor rather than face a General Medical Council inquiry. But his request has been rejected by the GMC which says there are still ‘unresolved concerns regarding his fitness to practise’. He will now face a full fitness to practise hearing. Yesterday John Hemming MP, who has raised concerns about Dr Hibbert in Parliament, described the claims as shocking...Earlier this week, a study for the Family Justice Council revealed how life-changing decisions about the care of children are routinely being made on the basis of flawed evidence. A fifth of ‘experts’ who advise the family courts are unqualified."
THE ENTIRE STORY CAN BE FOUND AT:
SEE RELATED CHANNEL 4 NEWS INVESTIGATION: HOW COMPETENT ARE EXPERT WITNESSES? AT:http://www.channel4.com/news/how-competent-are-expert-witnesses
FOR A LINK TO THE REPORT BY PROFESSOR JANE IRELAND COMMISSIONED BY THE FAMILY JUSTICE COUNCIL), PLEASE GO TO:
http://researchingreform.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/how-competent-are-expert-witnesses-channel-4-investigates/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
I will be monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html
Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
