Andrew Wakefield – ‘Dishonest And Irresponsible’ – Doctor No More

Edited to add (thanks to Reasonable Hank): 24th May, 2010: Dr Andrew Wakefield – Determination on Serious Professional Misconduct (SPM) and sanction

Accordingly the Panel has determined that Dr Wakefield’s name should be erased from the medical register.  The Panel concluded that it is the only sanction that is appropriate to protect patients and is in the wider public interest, including the maintenance of public trust and confidence in the profession and is proportionate to the serious and wide-ranging findings made against him.

The effect of the foregoing direction is that, unless Dr Wakefield exercises his right of appeal, his name will be erased from the Medical Register 28 days from when formal notice has been deemed to be served upon him by letter to his registered address.

Here are the findings (PDF) from the General Medical Council website: PDF document: Wakefield Smith_Murch.pdf

Some of the details include:

Child 1 underwent a colonoscopy, MRI scan of his brain, an EEG and a variety of blood and urine tests. These were some of the investigations listed in the programme of the project. He was further admitted on 23 October 1996 for further investigations  regarding the “etiology of the autism”, again for no obvious clinical gastro-intestinal reasons. During this admission, Child 1 underwent a barium meal and follow-through and a lumbar puncture. These were also the investigations listed in the programme of the project. The Panel has concluded that Child 1 underwent a programme of investigations for research purposes and for which there was no Ethics Committee approval.

and

In reaching its decision, the Panel notes that the project  reported in the Lancet paper was established with the  purpose to investigate a postulated new syndrome and yet the Lancet paper did not describe this fact at all.  Because you drafted and wrote the final version of the paper, and omitted correct information about the purpose of the study or the patient population, the Panel is satisfied that your conduct was irresponsible and dishonest.

The Panel is satisfied that your conduct at paragraph 32.a would be considered by ordinary standards of reasonable and honest people to be dishonest.

and

‘27. a. You inappropriately caused Child 10 to be administered Transfer Factor,

Found proved. The Panel is persuaded that Child 10 was administered Transfer Factor by the weekly diary card completed by his mother, submitted to the Royal Free Hospital in January 1998 which states, “over Christmas and New Year we felt very optimistic about the apparent effect of Transfer Factor…is it possible that the dose now needs to be increased?”. The Panel concluded that you caused the child to be administered with Transfer Factor on the basis of the letter of 23 July 1997 that you and Dr Wakefield wrote to the Dispensary Manager. You informed her that “we would like to start Child 10 …on measles-specific Transfer Factor and we are prepared to take full responsibility for the outcome of this treatment. The supplies of the drug are presently in our hands (Dr Wakefield).” Further, Dr Wakefield sought permission from the Medical Advisory Committee by letter dated 9 September 1997 for Child 10 to be administered Transfer Factor on a named patient basis as is evidenced by the approval letter dated 15 September 1997 sent to him and copied to you, by  its chairman, Dr Lloyd.

i. for experimental reasons,
Found proved. The Panel is persuaded that this was experimental  treatment and not given for clinical reasons, because you had not seen or assessed the child before causing him to be administered with the unlicensed drug and you stated “we do not know whether the treatment will work” in your letter to the Dispensary manager of the pharmacy, dated 23 July 1997, jointly signed by you and Dr Wakefield. You also state within that letter, “we are prepared to take full responsibility for the outcome of the treatment”.

From BBC News: MMR doctor struck off register

The doctor who first suggested a link between MMR vaccinations and autism has been struck off the medical register. The General Medical Council found Dr Andrew Wakefield guilty of serious professional misconduct over the way he carried out his controversial research.

It follows a GMC ruling earlier this year that he had acted unethically.

Dr Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 Lancet study caused vaccination rates to plummet, resulting in a rise in measles – but the findings were later discredited. The GMC ruled in January he had acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” in conducting his research.

…The panel which made the ruling criticised Dr Wakefield in January for the invasive tests that were carried out on children against their best clinical interests.

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