Dr Richard FREEMAN GMC ref no 2854524 - copy of of MPT determination + length of hearing
Dear General Medical Council,
Please send me full details of the MPT hearing concerning Dr Richard FREEMAN GMC ref no 2854524 that concluded on 19 March 2021:
https://www.mpts-uk.org/hearings-and-dec...
Please also send me information on the total number of days the hearing lasted.
'Dr Richard FREEMAN
Medical practitioners tribunal – New Hearing concluded
Outcome on impairment Impaired
Summary of outcome Erasure
Type of case Misconduct
Hearing date from 17 Mar 2021
Hearing date to 19 Mar 2021
Details
This hearing will also sit: 17-19 March and 4-7 May 2021. Previously sat: 28 October - 20 December 2019, 3 September, 5 October - 26 November 2020, 22-27 January, 6 & 12 February, 15 February - 5 March & 12 March 2021. Non-sitting days: 16 October, 19-21 October and 4-6 November 2020.
Location of hearing
This is a virtual hearing. It is possible to observe proceedings from our Manchester hearing centre. Please give us 14 days' notice if you would like to attend, so arrangements can be made. Contact us about observing a hearing
GMC reference number 2854524
Area of practice Manchester
Decision
Full details of this hearing will be published shortly'
Yours faithfully,
J Roberts
Thank you for getting in touch. Please note this is an automated email.
We’ll get back to you as soon as we can with a further acknowledgement.
You’ll usually hear from us on the next working day, but it might take a
little longer during busy periods.
In the meantime, if you want any further information about the GMC, please
visit our website.
Thank you
Information Access team
General Medical Council
Email: [GMC request email]
Working with doctors Working for patients
The General Medical Council helps to protect patients and improve medical
education and practice in the UK by setting standards for students and
doctors. We support them in achieving (and exceeding) those standards, and
take action when they are not met.
Dear J Roberts,
Your information request – IR1-3074406931
Thank you for your emails dated 29 May, in which you ask for the full
details of the MPT hearing concerning Dr Richard FREEMAN GMC ref no
2854524 that concluded on 19 March 2021.
How we will consider your request
We’re going to consider your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 (FOIA). The FOIA gives us 20 working days to respond, but we’ll come
back to you as soon as we can.
Who to contact
Henna Janghir will be handling your request. If you have any questions you
can contact her via email at [1][email address].
Yours sincerely
Lauren Barrowcliffe
Information Access Team Assistant
[2][email address]
General Medical Council
3 Hardman Street
Manchester
M3 3AW
Dear J Roberts,
Your information request: IR1-3074406931
Thank you for your email dated 29 May 2021 requesting the full details of
the MPT hearing concerning Dr Richard Freeman (GMC ref no 2854524) that
concluded on 19 March 2021, as well as the total number of days the
hearing lasted.
You can now access the hearing determination on the LRMP. I have attached
a link to the doctor’s entry [1]here and you’ll be able to download a copy
of the determination under the ‘Doctor’s history’ tab.
With regards to how long the hearing lasted, the Tribunal sat for a total
of 93 days.
I hope you find this information useful. If you have any other queries,
please let me know.
If you have any concerns about the way I have handled your request, please
contact [2][GMC request email].
Yours sincerely
Henna Janghir
Information Access Officer
General Medical Council
3 Hardman Street
Manchester
M3 3AW
Email: [3][email address]
Tel: 0161 923 6710
Website: [4]www.gmc-uk.org
From: FOI
Sent: 02 June 2021 10:06
To: '[FOI #761107 email]'
<[FOI #761107 email]>
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request - Dr Richard FREEMAN GMC ref
no 2854524 - copy of of MPT determination + length of hearing
Dear J Roberts,
Your information request – IR1-3074406931
Thank you for your emails dated 29 May, in which you ask for the full
details of the MPT hearing concerning Dr Richard FREEMAN GMC ref no
2854524 that concluded on 19 March 2021.
How we will consider your request
We’re going to consider your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 (FOIA). The FOIA gives us 20 working days to respond, but we’ll come
back to you as soon as we can.
Who to contact
Henna Janghir will be handling your request. If you have any questions you
can contact her via email at [5][email address].
Yours sincerely
Lauren Barrowcliffe
Information Access Team Assistant
[6][email address]
General Medical Council
3 Hardman Street
Manchester
M3 3AW
J Roberts left an annotation ()
Previous longest hearings (request made in Nov 2020):
'In the past three years, how many days did the longest five hearings each
last?'
Response:
Hearing 1 – 74 days
Hearing 2 – 67 days
Hearing 3 – 66 days
Hearing 4 – 65 days
Hearing 5 – 61 days
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now
J Roberts left an annotation ()
Dr Freeman has appealed the decision.
One of the longest determinations I've seen. I'm not aware of any tribunal that has sat for more than 93 days, but there may be some.
https://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/2854524
'6. At the time of the events, Dr Freeman was practising as a Team Doctor for British Cycling; the National Governing Body for cycle sport in Great Britain. He worked in this role from 2010 to 2015 and then, from October 2016 to October 2017, as its Head of Medicine. Dr Freeman was also contracted, in parallel with his work at British Cycling, as the Lead Team Doctor for the professional cycling team Tour Racing (also known as Team Sky) from around January 2010 to 2016.
189. Having considered the above carefully, the Tribunal considered that Dr Freeman had invented Mr D’s alleged XXX. It was untrue and he knew it to be untrue.
190. Two points arise here.
191. First, this unfounded assertion undermines Dr Freeman’s wider credibility as a witness of truth.
198. In conclusion, taking all these issues together, the Tribunal found that Dr Freeman’s account of having ordered the Testogel for Mr D required it to believe too many implausible, unsupported assertions, as well as having to overlook further falsehoods, on the back of those Dr Freeman had already admitted.
199. Simply, on the balance of the evidence, the Tribunal did not believe him.
232. Dr Freeman also admitted that, six years later, when he was interviewed by UKAD on 17 February 2017, he again acted dishonestly; repeating the lie that the Testogel had been returned to Fit4Sport.
241. Overall, then, taking all those factors into account, and bearing in mind the breadth of Dr Freeman’s dishonesty and the number of people he had pulled into it (Ms C, Dr A and Mr D), the Tribunal found his conduct incapable of innocent explanation.
264. In addition, though, the Tribunal considered that Dr Freeman’s conduct surrounding the order of the Testogel amounted to a long and considered pattern of very serious dishonesty.
293. ... In relation to both people, Dr Freeman exploited their reputation as individuals of truth and integrity in order to protect himself...
Another significant feature of his dishonesty was the extent to which Dr Freeman was prepared to put to use private information he held on professional colleagues (XXX, Mr D’s subsequent clinical needs) in order to facilitate his fabricated account.'