Breaking News …
The following emails, released by the Home Office (from a Freedom Of Information request), are between Dr David Bulpitt of Avon and Somerset police and the Home Office. They reveal an insight into his thoughts regarding injured officers.
This doctor is from the same force as the PCC (Sue Mountstevens) who wrote a letter three years ago, again to the Home Office, complaining that retired injured on duty police officers serve no benefit to the people of Avon and Somerset.
We are deeply concerned and horrified that a doctor who, according to the GMC good medical practice, should show respect, treat patients and colleagues fairly and without discrimination and act with honesty and integrity, could write something with such disregard about his patients – who happen to be injured police officers.
it is crazy to have the GMC overseeing the work to the SMP and insisting that the pensioner is our patient and that we must put their interests first?
IODPA are alarmed that a person who is a highly qualified doctor and whom is employed by a police force to take care of the physical and mental health of serving and retired police officers should have such a blatant indifference to his patients.
In our belief he has shown no concern for people who have been medically retired; their lives, physical, psychological, emotional, and social state are cruely dismissed.
By intentionally dehumanising individuals his paramount fealty seems to be to the force finances.
An opinion piece on this will follow soon.
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Unfortunately ‘Dr’ Bulpitt is not alone. There are other doctors who have opted out of practising mainstream medicine and found this to be ‘a nice little earner.’ Hopefully there are not too many, but the few do a tremendous amount of harm to the former officers subjected to them.
The above revelation I suspect is the tip of an iceberg, as not only is he trying to influence the GMC, but he is associated with several national representative bodies including the chief police officers organisation.
Drawing an analogy, can you imagine the public reaction if the Police Federation applied to have its members’ actions put above scrutiny?
The role of them smp is clearly shown here to be a case of saving there force money by any means rather than conducting a lawful review.
They fact that reviews are not recorded is scandalous as when the reports are written serious information is not detailed as stated at ten time with no chance of recourse.
Dr Bulpitt seems to be on a mission to discredit individual injured officers who are permanently disabled who deserve better than this disgrace calling himself a Dr.
My IOD process is almost into its third year now. My SMP worsened my condition which has been ratified by several psychiatrists and despite a complaint to the GMC nothing seems to change.
Maybe this should be shared openly on social media? Maybe the press should get involved and make this an issue? Maybe a proper investigation be started into these serious beaches of the human rights?
I have the fight in me to take this all the way to the ECH. The press and have the knowledge of Social Media marketing to highlight the cause.
It’s not just limited to reviews, those who like me are going through the I’ll Healy and injury process are treated just as badly. It is coming close to 2 years since I first saw the SMP who was instructed to find me fit (I believe) in spite of the report of two consultants. That SMP subsequently deserted his role and resigned I was told off record that he found his instructions to be against his code of ethics. I pushed my red rep to get a statement off the said Dr and I was given short shrift
I have been treated worse than the many criminals I have locked up since I became injured and everywhere I turn I find challenges, lies, deceit and bullying tactics. I exhausted the grievance procedures. Have asked to make official complaints against HR for their numerous attempts at bullying and misfeance and the reply has always been that ‘they made a mistake and are sorry’. After some huge blunders like threatening to put me on UPP, arranging a meeting with my line manager and myself together with a red rep for me to tell them that I will not take part I. Such a meeting as according to the regs I cannot be subject to UPP whilst going through A20 process. This and very many similar ‘mistakes’ that they have been ‘sorry’ for led me to become mentally ill. I have been mentally tortured and have nobody to take my complaint to
I have asked for an officer to take a statement of complaint for harassment against me by HR and was ‘warned off’. I said I would arrest the HR head myself and again was given the proverbial warnings.
Where do we turn for justice?
Seems going to the press and embarrassing the force is the only way to be taken seriously and see any action being taken.
Thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Why is Bulpitt so hell-bent on bringing about a reduction in an IOD’s pension. Why is he not just approaching a review with an approach born out of fairness. If the pension has to be reduced in accordance with the Regulations then so be it. But don’t go on a “crusade” (his term) merely to make a cost saving reduction. What drives this person to act in this way He is just malicious.
Surely if we have this knowledge it seems reasonable to make the PCC and CC of this force aware of the total disregard of Regs etc…
My concern is that the local GMC liaison officer appears to be complicit in not taking any complaints against SMP’s because Bulpitt has intervened. I question the ethics and professionalism of Bulpitt, and the GMC, if complaints can be quashed that easily. Bulpitt should resign as FMA as he is not worthy of that position, or that of a caring clinician.
Very disappointing and distressing that we are treated with such disdain by people who would not even dare to do some of the things that we have done nor faced the risks involved. A very sad insight into how we are perceived, but also a reason to continue the campaign of awareness and education for those who may be required to engage in the review process. The disclosure should be condemned, but also act as an inspiration to force the correct application of the regulations.
This is the same Dr who was involved in Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s unlawful actions,a few years back, where IOD pensioners who had reached the age of 65 were to have their level of pension reduced to band one.
He was working through a private limited company, Premier Occupational Healthcare Ltd. He was a director of that company from September 2009 until he resigned in February 2012.
He was, I think, the FMA in Cambs, and a Dr Antony Roberts was the SMP, though it is know that Bulpitt himself acted as SMP in at least one instance, in 2008.
There are unanswered questions about how Premier Occupational Healthcare Ltd was awarded a contract with Campol, without there being any tendering process. In other words, no other doctor was given the opportunity to apply for the role of FMA.
Bulpitt had not a clue about how the Regulations should be applied then, and it seems he is just as much in the dark now. So much so that it is easy to think of his deficiencies as deliberate. He was content to see disabled former officers put through an unlawful review process in Cambs and he is repeating that now in Avon and Somerset.
From the evidence of his emails it seems that he has been trawling through the sensitive personal medical information held by A&S concerning former officers who are retired with an injury pension. How else could he make the remarks his emails reveal? Clearly, there needs to be some questions asked as to what breaches of the Data Protection Act he might have been involved in.
This Dr has plenty of opinions which he is is happy to air, so, come on, Dr, Bulpitt, please tell us more. Why do you think that the GMC is wrong to insist that you, and other SMPs. put the patient first? Who do you think should be put first – your employers?
Please tell us how you know that there are former officers on a 100% degree of disablement? Exactly how and when did you acquire that private, personal information?
i would like to know why you saw fit to write to the Home Office with your ‘concerns’. What stopped you from taking these matters up with the Police Pension Authority (that is, the Chief Constable) or with the Police and Crime Commissioner, or with NARPO or the Police Federation? Why run to the Home Office with a really, really stupid suggestion that the law is changed so as to leave you free of any medical oversight by the GMC?
Your actions reveal that your motives are suspect, as is your professionalism.
It has taken a while to get my head around these emails that come from the same force that have quoted, ” these pensioners are of no benefit to the residents of Avon and Somerset” from the PCC
” the ducks are all lined up” referring to IODs being made ready for reviews.
” in these times of severe austerity” referring to reasons to review.
I feel absolutely persecuted by this force and my honest conclusion is that no review will be carried out fairly and in accordance to the regulations. Why oh why has the new Chief Constable remained silent on this subject, he is the only police officer involved as the rest are civilian employees?
I just want to run away from this situation as I can only see further persecution and pre judgement.
Who is Dr Bullpitt to say that one IOD has nothing wrong with them, has he examined them?
For the sake of all those IODs I would like someone to do something about the corruption and unfairness of these reviews. It cannot be that hard to do reviews properly can it?
My whole life took a turn for the worst today when the realisation that IODs will be hunted down and put to the sword started to sink in.
I fear the postman or even a knock at the door. When will it stop and when will we be treated properly
Can I make an offer to Dr Bulpitt and Sue Mountstevens.
I would like to offer to take them to meet the families of David Rathband, David Phillips, Fiona Bone, Nicola Hughes or any other officer that has died from doing their duty either through criminal acts, suicide or illness due to the stresses of the job.
Mr Bulpitt can explain some of the terminology used in his email.
Ms Mountstevens can explain, that had the above been injured, rather than killed, or as in the case of Pc Rathband taken his own life after such devastating injuries, that they would have been of no benefit to their communities, ergo, just a financial burden.
Are they struggling to find SMP,s because ethics means the majority of doctors won’t bend themselves to dishonest behaviour.
Olpk, it certainly seems that way. I know the first SMP who reviewed me back in 2007 was gone by 2008 and I understand he resigned his position because he hadn’t got the stomach to continue. Obviously some FMA’s/SMP’s still have the determination required to fulfill the role but their ethics are perverse as shown in the Bulpitt emails.
That comment made by Bulpitt is disgusting and should be enough to get him barred from ever acting as an FMA or an SMP again. Unfortunately I suspect that A&S are not the only Force to have FMA’s with that attitude and also fail to adhere to IOD rules and regulations. Many of us IOD pensioners have been subjected to such an attitude. It seems the main ‘goal’ for reviews is to get the pension reduced by any method. I would suspect that it is a hard task to actually be awarded an IOD pension award by this person no matter how damaged an officer is. He should be investigated thoroughly by GMC on the strength of that comment!
My husband being dismissed after 11 years, as the force doctor didnt know what the hell he was on about! ( he said muscle strain, and he was trying to play the system).My husband is now disabled and in a wheel chair…….
…………… Which all goes to prove what we already suspected – the man does not understand the meaning of rules and regulations – either the Police Injury Pension Regs or his own GMC rules. To him, they are just an inconvenience which should be ignored for as long as he can get away with it. We are not trying to prevent pensions being reviewed, we just want them reviewed lawfully. If the Regs were being adhered to we probably would not need to exist as a group
Deeply saddened to read this. How can these people sleep at night.