The General Medical Council (GMC) has broken all boundaries of fairness and ethics once again, exposing its institutional racism in a shocking case involving an Indian doctor. Two years ago, Sasha Rodoy, who had initiated false claims, openly threatened the panel of judges when her case began to fall apart. This caused the panel to recuse itself, leading to the dismissal of the hearing and wasting millions of pounds in public funds. This dismissal added another two years of delay to a case that had already been dragging on for five years.
Rodoy was banned from attending future hearings by the GMC after her misconduct, but it has now come to light that she has been working closely with the GMC on multimillion-pound compensation cases. Despite her previous behavior, Rodoy has now been invited back to the same hearing, which is scheduled to restart on Tuesday. This decision has shocked the medical community and raised serious concerns about the integrity of the GMC.
This incident exemplifies the racial bias that has long existed within the GMC. A staggering 75% of doctors brought before the GMC’s Fitness to Practice (FTP) hearings are from India or Pakistan, while white doctors face a much higher threshold for similar cases. This shows a clear pattern of targeting Asian doctors, preventing them from advancing in their careers while allowing their white counterparts to do so with ease.
Efforts to contact the GMC’s leadership for comment have been met with silence, further confirming suspicions that the outcome of the hearing has already been decided. The GMC’s refusal to address these concerns only strengthens the belief that the hearing is merely a façade designed to give the appearance of fairness while the reality is quite the opposite.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), which oversees the hearings, is a division of the GMC. Its judges are paid by the GMC, and any complaints made against the MPTS are handled internally by the GMC. This lack of independence creates a conflict of interest that undermines the entire hearing process, raising serious doubts about its legitimacy.
The fact that Sasha Rodoy has been allowed back into the hearing despite her previous misconduct is a clear sign of collusion. In any other context, her actions would have led to legal consequences, but instead, she has been protected by the GMC, allowing her to continue influencing the case.
It is a sad reality that Asian doctors in the UK continue to face systemic racism from an organization that should be upholding the highest standards of fairness. Until this colonial legacy is dismantled, talented professionals from Asia will remain at the mercy of a deeply flawed system.