BBC: Doctor ‘prescribed an exorcism’

9 July 2007

This, in this day and age, in London, is just un-fricken-believable:

A family planning doctor prescribed an exorcism to a woman during a routine appointment, a medical tribunal heard.

Dr Joyce Pratt, 44, allegedly told the patient she was possessed by an evil spirit and suggested she visit a priest who could take the problem away.

The General Medical Council heard the consultation took place at Westside Contraceptive Services in London.

Dr Pratt is accused of acting in a manner liable to bring the medical profession into disrepute.

BBC News

My emphasis. Yes, you read that right, this isn’t is some third world clinic where the catholics hold sway, this is in the heart of this country.

Seriously, with this and those muslim doctors who tried to bomb London and Glasgow, the NHS seems to have more than it’s fair share of whackos who insist on not only dumping their Hippocratic oath (or whatever the modern equivalent is) but making the rest of us suffer their lunacy.

The doctor in question, if found guilty at the tribunal, is expected to lose her medical licence. Personally I think she should be charged with negligence or whatever other charges can stick: who knows how many other people have suffered at the hands of this wingnut’s lunacy?

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3257 Responses2007-07-09+15%3A53%3A07nullifidian to “BBC: Doctor ‘prescribed an exorcism’”

TW on July 9th, 2007 5:17 pm

Wow. This almost defies belief…

I really hope the GMC have the sense to act over this.
Michael on July 9th, 2007 11:52 pm

That’s just crazy. Unbelievable. What a lunatic. I cant believe it. Bloody hell.
T.O. Fife on July 10th, 2007 5:09 pm

You left out the best parts . . .
“the patient, referred to as Mrs K, had attended the clinic for a routine contraception injection.

During the appointment she mentioned she was experiencing pain and bleeding and the doctor told her she had “something moving inside her”.

In a statement the patient said: “She grabbed my stomach and said that it was a flabby stomach and that it moves and it wasn’t normal.

“She then said that there was black magic inside.”

The doctor allegedly made Mrs K – a practising Muslim – drink what she claimed was Christian holy water from a bottle in the consultation room.

Dr Pratt then read to her from a battered bible, said prayers over her stomach and gave her wooden crosses and stones to ward off evil, the panel heard.”

My emphasis. Great stuff!
TW on July 10th, 2007 7:19 pm

Fruit and nutcake, to say the least.
PJ on July 14th, 2007 1:45 pm

The NHS still practices homeopathy – this is just as evidence based.
PJ on July 14th, 2007 1:52 pm

Looks like they’ve ruled:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6896318.stm

Well I wonder who was telling the truth, the doctor who believes in witchcraft, or the nurse and patient?
nullifidian on July 14th, 2007 2:33 pm

Thanks for alerting me to that PJ.