Medical regulator apologises to doctors struck off for their sexuality

The General Medical Council has issued a formal apology 'for taking regulatory action against doctors who, in historic cases, had convictions under now-repealed homophobic laws'

A medical regulator has apologised to male doctors who were struck off because of their sexuality.

At least eight doctors were struck off, and at least 40 subjected to fitness-to-practise proceedings, after the General Medical Council (GMC) was told they had engaged in, or tried to engage in, consensual sexual activity with other men.

The GMC said it was issuing a formal apology “for taking regulatory action against doctors who, in historic cases, had convictions under now-repealed homophobic laws”.

The cases date back to the 1890s, with the last confirmed case of a doctor being struck off in 1966.

Other doctors have been issued with 'behaviour warnings' over their sexuality since then.

Chairwoman Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen said that the homophobic laws and attitudes in place caused personal and professional harm.

“We compounded that harm when we also took additional regulatory action against those who were on the medical register," she said.

“In some cases that meant the end of a practitioner’s career. For this we are truly sorry.”

The GMC said it does not know exactly how many medical doctors faced regulatory action.

In 1967, the Sexual Offences Act was passed which decriminalised private homosexual acts between men aged over 21.

The law was not changed in Scotland until 1980 and in Northern Ireland until 1982.

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