RE: Dr Skinner's current situation re. GMC restraints?

December 28, 2010

.... Could anyone enlighten on this?

:/

December 28, 2010

I am awaiting a reply from Dr Skinner as I have written to ask

him to give us an update on his present situation regarding this. As soon as I

hear from him, I will let you know, but he may be away until the New Year.

Luv - Sheila

.... Could anyone enlighten on this?

:/

December 28, 2010

Yes, GP referral was always required, even before the hearings. This was the reason I could never see Dr. Skinner, because my GP point blank refused to give me a referral.Lilian

I'm trying to find out the current requirements for an appointment with Dr Skinner following the end of his three year probationary period with the GMC.

Is a GP's referral still required?

------------------------------------

TPA is not medically qualified. Consult with a qualified medical practitioner before changing medication.

December 28, 2010

Hi Kitfire

Re the requirements of having a private consultation with Dr Skinner, it has always been a requirement to obtain a referral from the GP, together with the blood test results, and I believe it was only one incident when a patient arrived who was desperate (as we all are) when this wasn't adhered to, which resulted in investigation, causing all doctors to be extremely cautious. This is why we have such trouble being diagnosed and treated. Good luck in obtaining your referral from your GP, then you will be on the road to good health again.

Ina

December 28, 2010

Hi Lillian, my take on this is that we would need a referral , and this has always been the same for any doctorPrivate or NHS. but one thought on this is to un -register from your currant GP and you then would not need a referral !!! someone in the group did this-I mean un-registered from their GP as she was nor getting anywherewith them. Angel.

December 28, 2010

You do not necessarily need a referral to lots of private doctors. Otherwise I would never have improved. I saw a private doctor without a referral who prescribed T3 for me. I will say that there are a lot more doctors who want a referral now than used to.

It would not be very practical for me to unregister and be without a doctor as I need a doctor to prescribe insulin and other diabetic medication, B12 injections etc.Lilian

Hi Lillian, my take on this is that we would need a referral , and this has always been the same for any doctor

Private or NHS. but one thought on this is to un -register from your currant GP and you then would not need a referral !!! someone in the group did this-I mean un-registered from their GP as she was nor getting anywhere

with them. Angel.

December 28, 2010

" I am awaiting a reply from Dr Skinner as I have written to ask him to give us

an update on his present situation regarding this. As soon as I hear from him, I

will let you know, but he may be away until the New Year. "

Thankyou, Sheila. Appreciated.

" Yes, GP referral was always required, even before the hearings. This was

the reason I could never see Dr. Skinner, because my GP point blank refused

to give me a referral.

Lilian "

Sorry to hear, Lilian. I had a similar experience with my now ex-GP, who not

only point blank refused to consider a referral to Dr S, but almost seemed to

want to shame me for making the request.

My new GP said he may consider referring provided he is satisfied Dr Skinner is

in " good standing " in the medical profession.

" Good luck in obtaining your referral from your GP, then you will be on the road

to good health again.

Ina "

Thankyou.

December 28, 2010

Problem is that doctors who DARE to work outside of the RCP, BTA

et al guidance on the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism do not hold

such doctors ion " good standing " . Doctors such as Dr Peatfield, Dr

Skinner and Dr Mantzourani are making thousands of people well again by working

outside of the NHS mainstream diagnosing and treatment protocol - they DARE to

give a diagnosis if a patient's TSH and free T4 are within the normal reference

interval. They DARE to treat with other thyroid hormone replacements other than

the prohormone thyroxine (T4) which has to convert to the active thyroid

hormone triiodothyronine (T3). There are mainstream doctors who work their

socks off to find such doctors and report them to the GMC for some other 'misdemeanour'

to stop them doing what they are - and why are they doing this, simply because

they are being shown up for not knowing how to help their patients suffering

the symptoms of hypothyroidism get well again - they don't know how, because

they have never been taught.

So, don't hold your breath that your GP will get good reports from

other physicians regarding Dr Skinner. However, I hope your GP will at least

give you the opportunity to see him. It is YOUR money and YOUR health and I

hope you are not left in the situation of having to point this out to your GP.

Luv - Sheila

Sorry to hear, Lilian. I had a similar experience with my now ex-GP, who not

only point blank refused to consider a referral to Dr S, but almost seemed to

want to shame me for making the request.

My new GP said he may consider referring provided he is satisfied Dr Skinner is

in " good standing " in the medical profession.

" Good luck in obtaining your referral from your GP, then you will be on

the road to good health again.

Ina "

Thankyou.

December 28, 2010

Hi Sheila,

I have a somewhat different query regarding this and wondered if Dr Skinner could clarify matters.

I consulted him in early 2004 before the GP referral was made compulsary by the GMC sanctions.What I am wondering is whether I would still be listed as an'existing' patient and whether I could still consult him today WITHOUT a referral?

Hope that makes sense!

Peary>> I am awaiting a reply from Dr Skinner as I have written to ask him to give> us an update on his present situation regarding this. As soon as I hear from> him, I will let you know, but he may be away until the New Year.> > Luv - Sheila> > > > > > ... Could anyone enlighten on this?> > :/>

December 29, 2010

Good question peary. I don't know.

Could you ring Dr Skinner's surgery and ask if your case is considered to be

ongoing?

December 29, 2010

Most private doctors you can get a consultation with without the

need for a referral from your GP. If you are referred to an NHS

endocrinologist, then you do need a written referral. I have not yet heard back

form Dr Skinner.

Luv - Sheila

Hi Lillian, my take on this is that we would need a referral

, and this has always been the same for any doctor

Private or NHS. but one thought on this is to un -register

from your currant GP and you then would not need a referral !!! someone in the

group did this-I mean un-registered from their GP as she was nor getting

anywhere

with them. Angel.

___

December 29, 2010

I should imagine that as you ARE an existing patient of Dr

Skinner's you should be able to contact him and speak to either him or his

secretary to see whether he would still give you a consultation without a

referral. Only his office will be able to confirm this Peary.

Luv - Sheila

Hi Sheila,

I have a somewhat different query regarding this and wondered if Dr

Skinner could clarify matters.

I consulted him in early 2004 before the GP referral was made

compulsary by the GMC sanctions.What I am wondering is whether I would

still be listed as an'existing' patient and whether I could still consult him

today WITHOUT a referral?

January 2, 2011

" Problem is that doctors who DARE to work outside of the RCP, BTA et al guidance

on the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism do not hold such doctors ion

" good standing " ...So, don't hold your breath that your GP will get good reports

from other physicians regarding Dr Skinner. However, I hope your GP will at

least give you the opportunity to see him. It is YOUR money and YOUR health and

I hope you are not left in the situation of having to point this out to your

GP. "

Sheila - when I asked my old GP if I could see Dr Skinner, he researched him and

came back and told me he'd consulted with endocrinologists and basically

proceded to slander Dr Skinner. I know the report he was given by local endos

was completely false as one of my close friends has seen and been returned to

health by Dr Skinner.

It would be wonderful if the GMC would finally lift the referral restriction,

but I think they've invested too much in hounding him (from their viewpoint) to

leave him alone.

January 2, 2011

>> Hi Kitfire> Re the requirements of having a private consultation with Dr Skinner, it has always been a requirement to obtain a referral from the GP, together with the blood test results, and I believe it was only one incident when a patient arrived who was desperate (as we all are) when this wasn't adhered to, which resulted in investigation, causing all doctors to be extremely cautious.> Ina>Hi Ina,

I feel I must respond to your post because the above statement isn't quite accurate.I saw Dr Skinner in Glasgow in 2004 WITHOUT a referral.I certainly don't think it was a common occurance but I believe in exceptional cases Dr Skinner relented on compassionate grounds (shall we say!) I was certainly grateful at the time.

In my opinion this GP referral thing is a nonsense anyway.There are numerous private doctors you can consult without a referral.I mean you can travel overseas and consult privately without the doctor knowing any of your prior medical history. And frankly I think this is great because they are less likely to have preconceived ideas about you( ie;menopausal,mad,hypochondriac etc etc...)

However the whole system is shambolic.For instance you could consult a plastic surgeon privately WITHOUT a referral with no obstruction whatsoever but if you wanted to consult say a private Rheumatologist or Endocrinologist through the BUPA Spire hospitals nationwide a referral from your GP is a must.I know because I've enquired on more than one occasion...

Honestly,if we're paying I think we should get to see whoever we like!

Regards Peary

January 3, 2011

I would make a point of writing to your GP asking what these

doctors and endocrinologists had said to give him cause to slander Dr Skinner.

I mean this! I would tell him you would like a response from him in writing.

There is a clique of endocrinologists, (many of whom we know by name) who make

it their job to report any doctor to the GMC if that doctor diagnoses and treats

outside of RCP, BTA guidelines. They basically don't want such doctors making

patients well again when their pathetic efforts have failed, so to try to stop

they, they spread lies all over the place to give such a doctor a bad name. I

sat through every single day (apart from 2) of Dr Skinner's hearing with the

GMC in Manchester and the methods used to 'twist' the evidence from the so

called 'expert' witnesses had to be heard to be believed. The full transcript

of the hearing is on our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk

under 'Medical Advisers' and then under 'Dr Skinner'. It's a hefty

document though, but worth reading.

Luv - Sheila

" Problem is that doctors who DARE to work outside of the RCP, BTA et al

guidance on the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism do not hold such

doctors ion " good standing " ...So, don't hold your breath that your GP

will get good reports from other physicians regarding Dr Skinner. However, I

hope your GP will at least give you the opportunity to see him. It is YOUR

money and YOUR health and I hope you are not left in the situation of having to

point this out to your GP. "

Sheila - when I asked my old GP if I could see Dr Skinner, he researched him

and came back and told me he'd consulted with endocrinologists and basically

proceded to slander Dr Skinner. I know the report he was given by local endos

was completely false as one of my close friends has seen and been returned to

health by Dr Skinner.

It would be wonderful if the GMC would finally lift the referral restriction,

but I think they've invested too much in hounding him (from their viewpoint) to

leave him alone.

January 3, 2011

Hi Peary, when you saw Dr Skinner without a referral in 2004,

that was before the GMC started their investigation. Once this started, one of

the first conditions set on him was that all his patients should have a GP

referral letter, and he is now waiting for written confirmation that this has

been lifted, but the GMC are well known for dragging their feet. So, both of

you are correct it seems.

Luv - Sheila

>

> Hi Kitfire

> Re the requirements of having a private consultation with Dr Skinner, it

has always been a requirement to obtain a referral from the GP, together with

the blood test results, and I believe it was only one incident when a patient

arrived who was desperate (as we all are) when this wasn't adhered to, which

resulted in investigation, causing all doctors to be extremely cautious.

> Ina

>

Hi Ina,

I feel I must respond to your post because the above statement

isn't quite accurate.I saw Dr Skinner in Glasgow in 2004 WITHOUT a referral.I

certainly don't think it was a common occurance but I believe in

exceptional cases Dr Skinner relented on compassionate grounds (shall we say!)

I was certainly grateful at the time.

_,___

January 3, 2011

I found out from my GP that she always sends letters received from Dr Skinner regarding my Hypothyroidism treatment directly to the NHS Endocrinologist whom she fast tracked me to see regarding being treated privately by Dr S, as she was very wary to prescribe for fear of repercussions from the GMC.

This Endocrinologist was shocked to hear how I had NOT been treated (for years) before seeing Dr Skinner who had brought be back to good health, when all others had ignored my symptoms in favour of TSH blood tests, even when I was unable to walk and slept for 18 hours a day, among many other Hypothyroid symptoms. (I must say that these so called Endocrinologists and GPs were from another area). Only Dr Skinner had taken blood to test for FT4 and FT3 together with TSH, which were shown to be low. Therefore the Endocrinologist approved the Thyroxin medication on the NHS for life, saying " that my story was a horror story". He also carried out research into Dr Skinner and he has a copy of Dr Skinner's book in his possession together with articles written in The Daily Mail regarding the GMC hearing together with testimonials that were written to prove the facts.

It needs pointing out to the medical profession by 'each of us' when asking for a letter to refer to Dr Skinner that his methods of treating Hypothyroidism were not criticised by the GMC in fact it was endorsed after hearing the many witnesses who were now well after receiving treatment from Dr Skinner when all others of the medical profession had failed.

Failed even by professors at the 'top' of their profession who will only treat if the TSH level is showing out of the so called 'NORMAL RANGE ' these people were witnesses for the prosecution at the GMC hearing. One such doctor was aware that his 40 yr old patient had Hypothyroidism but didn't bother to prescribe because he thought the NHS could not afford to give her free prescriptions for life.

IT IS THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE LETTING US DOWN WHOM NEED TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a letter received from the Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam son, which states "that he asks doctors not to rely on blood tests only for the treatment for hypothyroidism".

If anyone would like a copy to support them in asking for a referral to Dr Skinner for treatment to bring them back to good health, I will be happy to provide a copy.

Wishing you all good health for 2011 but I'm afraid that most of you will all have to fight for it. Good luck.

Love Ina

January 3, 2011

I would make a point of writing to your GP asking what these doctors and

endocrinologists had said to give him cause to slander Dr Skinner. I meanthis! I

would tell him you would like a response from him in writing. There is a clique

of endocrinologists, (many of whom we know by name) who make it

their job to report any doctor to the GMC if that doctor diagnoses and

treats outside of RCP, BTA guidelines. "

Thanks, Sheila.

My ex-GP basically said he'd approached a consultant at the local endocrinology

department. He claimed the consultant had told him " every endocrinologist in

the country has heard of this Dr Skinner, and they have to run around after him

undoing the damage he's done " . The GP also said he'd inquired on a professional

medics messageboard about Dr Skinner, and said " It would be more than my job is

worth to refer you " .

I have looked through some of the transcripts for Dr Skinner's trial. One

incident that stuck out like a sore thumb was a patient recalling receiving a

phone call from someone in the medical establishment telling her she'd made a

complaint about Dr Skinner . She recalled how she'd kept insisting she'd never

made any complaint.

The lawyer questioning her swiftly changed the subject.