Reasons for striking off paediatric gastroenterologist may have been “inadequate,” GMC admits

The General Medical Council has admitted at the High Court that its reasons for finding the paediatric gastroenterologisto John Walker-Smith guilty of serious professional misconduct over a Lancet paper that sparked a worldwide scare over the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may have been “inadequate.”

But the GMC’s counsel, Joanna Glynn QC, told Mr Justice Mitting on the fourth day of a five day hearing: “In spite of inadequate reasons, it is quite clear on overwhelming evidence that the charges are made out.”

Source: BMJ 2012;344:e1244. http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e1244