Simon Singh could not have done it without the help of the General Chiropractic Council

Big shout out too Richard to the mctimmoney representatives for their candour! Without their move many chiropractors may not have had the complaints they have now pending!

The GCC, BCA and Mctimmoney therapist association – thank you for your continued negative input to the profession.

Hi Paul,
I forgot McTimoneys e-mail to their members telling them to take down their websites, I supose that was the start of the rot. I will put that up over the weekend. I hope I am not boring readers by reposting this old stuff. I think its fasinating reading this stuff with hindsight.

The Downfall video is hilarious, deliciously so. In view of recent events it is astonishingly that your original posting of it was so prescient.

The Downfall spoofs have been a highlight. Their disappearance is a tragedy.

I was worried about being accused of defaming certain people, so I was very careful with the text. The funny thing is everyone recognised the characters by the behaviour. I am waiting for the letter from Addleshaw Goddard, you have defamed x because everyone knows they are a bad tempered control freak.

Sadly all this was very predictable when I was on council I sent an e-mail to GCC chairman Peter Dixon warning about the sceptic blogs. Because they were having a go at me about my views on vaccination he took the view “Now you know what its like to be criticised on the internet”.

In some delicious ironic inevitability, here is a Downfall parody about Constantin Films takedown of the Downfall parodies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBO5dh9qrIQ

I think you will find the McT email went out after the complaints went in Paul, it was a knee jerk reaction not the catalyst for these complaints.

Richard, am I correct? .. singh did not win the case, merely the right to appeal the ruling??

if this is the case, will he end up in the dick?

either way there is nothing lef to gain fomr pursuing this case, other then soak up the venom of public and professional ire.. for many years hence..

so, they BCA challenged his comments, went legal and high profile and did not push it to the max and use the evidence already in existence, so we all look like monkeys now…

the level of complaints will collapse the GCC system surely. if so can it be disbanded? and the profession reform herself befoire descending into internal squabble?

thought anybody? … HD

apologies for typo Richard… ‘… will he end up in the DOCK, ie having to prove his statements, rushing this on the train..

for clarity, Simon Singh got leave to appeal the ruling of Judge Eady on the meaning of the disputed phrases. The panel of judges ruled that the disputed phrases constituted fair comment rather than defamation.

The BCA then decided to quit and unless Simon Singh chooses to continue the case, the legal wrangling is over.

As the case was never ‘heard’ in full, neither side actually won. Simon Singh feels he is victorious as his appeal was successful and the BCA decided to quit.

The question of costs is yet to be decided, and if the BCA have to pay Simon Singh’s costs as well as their own, it will reduce their cash reserves drastically. Will BCA membership fees rise again this year? You can bet on it. How much are people willing to pay to be members of this discredited association? £1000? £1500?

And yes, if another omnibus complaint is received at the GCC it might very well bankrupt them. They have had to remortgage the Wicklow Strasse Bunker to cover the additional costs of the current 600+ complaints. Would the banks comtinue to lend to an organisation that has a modest increase in income each year, but uncontrollable costs? The majority of the expenses of the 600+ complaints are in the current year (2010) and the number of registered chiropractors only increased by 102 in 2009. For those interested in the maths look at the 2009 GCC accounts. http://www.gcc-uk.org/files/page_file/C-120510-03.pdf

I asked about them increasing the mortgage in a recent FOI request and they said they had not,no doubt they will need to. Another major complaint will finish them unless the take the GCC line and dismiss them, in which case Coats would have to go.

It may be a loan rather than a mortgage

No folks

Hot off the presses!

The BCA is to ask the ECU bail them out – actually rather than asking they arrogantly stated with no reference to blackmail or extortion that unless the ECU GC approves a no strings £100K right now this weekend to bail out themselves and the GCC they will pull out of the ECU.

It ll be an interesting meeting that will test the ECU (and may split it along medipractic lines [is this why the BCA had Oistein Ogre installed as President?]).

Perhaps the BCA will open up about their future plans to denigrate the profession in the UK although I doubt it. Say goodbye to the subluxation folks…

now why am I not surprised?

What?? Bail the GCC out? WTF? I hope they do pull out of the ECU – pricks!

What of the meetings in London between the GCC and UCA, SCA and McT?

100k wont bail out the GCC, nowhere near enough dosh. More naughts needed methinks. BUT 100k might keep the BCA afloat for a bit longer but only if their membership are prepared to keep paying through the nose. Leaving the ECU would save BCA members some £ each year tho.

What meetings in London are you talking about, Paul?

Hi Dazed

There were meetings between the three main professional groups and the GCC as to their response to the BCA move to medicalise chiropractic in the UK.

The 100K is as I know it a first request.

Have the McT Organisation not appraised its members or asked for their opinion?

if you are talking about prescribing rights, then I refer you to my earlier answer and the GCC minutes which noted that the SCA, UCA and MCA had written to the GCC stating that they were against chiros precribing medications.

Yes I saw that but they met up in LOndon this week too.

What was that all about then Paul? I know that the GCC Chair and Margaret Coats meet with the Associations 3 or 4 times a year as a regular thing.

Wasn’t it For the professional associations (other than the BCA) to make their objections clear to the proposed move toward prescription rights, and also object to the GCC’s intentions to both remove subluxation from its lexicon and to remove the requirement for chiropractic philosophy to be taught at colleges within the UK?

If this is true, its a sad day for chiropractic when the regulator denies the fundamental premise of chiropractic intervention.

Believe me its true – surprised you chaps haven’t had this first hand – Richard had you not got wind of this?

I am afraid I get very little information from senior people in the chiropractic profession any more. I think they see me as a friend of the skeptics, however it does sound plausible considering the direction the profession is going.

Time for Freedom of Information?

Is there no way the Chiropractors the UK can push for a vote of no confidence with the GCC? I have heard from colleagues they are a friggin nightmare and from reading your blog that Margaret Coats seems like a right old bitch.

Where did you hear that she is lovely and cuddely, if it was not for her relationship with Peter Dixon I am sure we could have been an item.

There was a big confidence survey done in 2006 77% no confidence. If they dared do one now it would be nearer 90%, that I am certain. http://www.chiropracticlive.com/?p=112

Fire sale at GCC, The register for sale on e-bay £6.95 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Register-Chiropractors-General-Chiropractic-Council-/200555554481

A gathering of afraid shite bags wrapped up and named in a publication, overseen by self serving bags of shite at the top of whom resides an ass and a witch, played beautifully by another hoping for an MBE and a cosy pension.

They sound like Irish politicians playing a cowered irish population who have forgotten the right to RIOT.