Sarah Benn verdict: an unwelcome deterrent for doctors attending climate protests

Doctors campaigning to protect patients and the public against the health dangers of the climate emergency have suffered a setback. Sarah Benn, a retired GP, has been sanctioned by the General Medical Council (GMC) for multiple breaches of a court order while engaging in peaceful climate protests. For younger doctors this verdict sends a bleak message. Not only will this decision further undermine our trust in the regulator, but it serves as an unwelcome deterrent to practising clinicians engaging in climate activism.Benn was part of a group of Just Stop Oil protestors who demonstrated within a prohibited buffer zone at Kingsbury oil terminal against the production and use of fossil fuels. She received a custodial sentence and at a fitness to practise review she was suspended from the medical register for five months. This verdict has sparked concern from the BMA, the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, and among…
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