The British Medical Association (BMA) criticized the suspensions as "malicious," warning they set a "dangerous precedent." An open letter signed by 464 GPs, hospital doctors, nurses, and public figures such as former Archbishop Rowan Williams and human rights advocate Peter Tatchell, was submitted to the GMC. The letter asserts that healthcare professionals have engaged in civil disobedience due to the existential risk posed by rising global temperatures. It calls on the GMC to reinstate those suspended and support those "sacrificing their freedom" to demand urgent emission reductions.
Next week, Bristol GP Patrick Hart will stand trial for alleged criminal damage, accused of damaging fuel pump displays during an August 2022 protest. If convicted and jailed, he would be the first active UK doctor imprisoned for non-violent climate protest. Hart also faces a GMC tribunal next year, risking suspension or being struck off. The UN special rapporteur on environmental defenders, Michel Forst, has called on the UK government to address Hart's case, accusing the GMC of "double punishment" for his peaceful activism.
In response, UK Minister for Nature Mary Creagh declined to investigate, stating there is "no right to civil disobedience" and that UK law allows "legitimate environmental protest." Thus far, only retired GPs have lost their medical licenses due to tribunal suspensions. Diana Warner, a retired Bristol GP, lost her license for three months in August after brief imprisonment for twice violating anti-protest injunctions in 2021 and 2022. The GMC argued her actions "brought the medical profession into disrepute."
Sarah Benn, another retired GP from Birmingham, received a five-month suspension following a 32-day jail sentence for protesting at Kingsbury oil terminal in 2022. She is appealing her suspension with BMA backing.
The GMC explained that legally, it must refer cases to a tribunal if a doctor receives a custodial sentence after a criminal conviction. While doctors may express opinions on climate change, the GMC emphasized that law-breaking during protests would face scrutiny, as public trust in doctors depends on their legal compliance.