Guest
My name is Ahmad Malik and I am a consultant surgeon in the UK. I’ve been practicing for 25 years and have an excellent clinical record, having treated 100s of patients. The daily bread and butter of my job as a surgeon involves consent. You and your family will all at several points in your life have to make decisions about the care that you receive. Whether you see a doctor or any health professional, you expect to be told the risks as well as benefits of a medical intervention? whether it be a heart drug or antidepressant or surgery to remove a growth? Do you expect to be given that information before agreeing to the suggested treatment? I believe in informed consent. And so should you. It is a fundamental pillar of medical ethics, and ensures you, the patient, is the most important person in the room. But it seems like medicine has moved to a place where we are not being completely honest with our patients. This certainly became apparent over the last few years with widely-held concerns that the covid injections, that don’t really operate like vaccines, might pose more harm and risk than benefit with their patients. I was frustrated by the lack of honesty I could have my patients about that, because I don’t think people are stupid. They will do the right thing for them. I can see a similar thing happening in the area of transgender people, young people often, being offered procedures which might not be in their long-term benefit. I think we need to be honest in those conversations and let them choose. Free speech and the ability for doctors to speak freely and factually is a necessary foundation of informed consent and for all of the work we do. It seems that because I believe this, because I have refused to stay quiet, I have lost my job. I have been left with no option but to take legal action. Which is expensive. But I believe in these principles not for me, but for my patients. For you at home, all of our parents, our children and our loved ones. So that if they ever find themselves needing medical intervention they are informed of the risks and benefits, the pros and cons, Without it there is no informed consent and no medical ethics, and patient safety is at serious risk. If you can help me, because this is an expensive process I would really appreciate it. We must fight to preserve the concept of free speech and honest conversations with all patients, without fear. Thank you for supporting me. You can donate here -
