Dr Julan Eden struck off - Internet prescribing scam exposed - GMC acts

If you visit http://www.e-med.co.uk/your_doctor.html you will arrive at the website of Dr Julian (Christopher Paul ) Eden MBBs BSc MRCGP ( GMC Ref No 3294013) (pic)the founder of e-med private medical services (e-med.co.uk). There is a claim on the site that Over 200,000 members, over 1/2 million consultations and that e-med has been successfully treating patients for over 6 years.... "your doctor, wherever you go"

The site is not modest about it's role and utility in providing a remote (but far from free) International Health Service....

The e-med doctor's surgery is a world's first and still the only service like it in the world - see why…

We are a service set up for today's busy people who want:

* to access a doctor straight away as they can't wait
* to build a relationship with the same doctor
* to have access to their doctor, from wherever they may be

We are unique as you can consult with us:

* by e-mail
* by phone
* in person for a face to face consultation if you need
* NEW SERVICE - Skype Video Consultations


Dr Eden apparently qualified in 1987 from Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London, UK previously having a Degree in Psychology 1983 (school unstated) and became a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners 1998.

He claims he hosted a weekly radio show "Second Opinion" on LBC 1152 AM, and writes regularly for the The Guradian as their "The Flying Doctor" , The Independent on Sunday , Sport Diver Magazine, Geographical Magazine and also created the hugely successful "Homeless Medipac" after his work with the homeless. (When contacted LBC had never heard of him - but promise to get back)

He states he has over 10 years experience in the UK's National Health Service covering almost evry medical faculty and the last five as a General practioner in Central London (UK) with interests in asthma, skin surgery, antenatal care, child development and Hyperbaric Medicine. he is listed (as of today) at the Hospital of St.Johnand St. Elizabeth , St John's Wood.

This prstigious hospital was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1856 “to help the sick, the dying and the needy” it is today one of the largest independent hospitals in the country. His name appears as a General Practioner with a speciality in Diving and travel medicine & separate MMR vaccines. tel Nos for GP and Diving Clinic 0207 806 4028 MMR Clinic 0207 078 3828


He had originally been consulting by e-mail for over a year, initially with sick SCUBA divers in remote locations and more recently with other patients who find that they haven't got time to come in to the surgery but still need a dependable doctor who understands their problems.

"e-med is an exciting medical use of today's technology. So now if you have a problem that needs some advice or diagnosis you can simply e-mail or call your doctor for immediate help. We will sort out the problem remotely but you have the security of knowing that if your doctor feels that the problem needs a face to face consultation then that can be arranged too."

When the service was launched it was written up in the Financial Times on September 1st 2000 under "Consulting Online" by Nicholas Timmins

" .....E-med does genuinely offer online consultation, but with safeguards. For a £20 annual registration fee and £15 a consultation (£40 if it is judged you need physically to see a doctor), E-med will deal with patients online but has a surgery in Battersea and a telephone contact as well.

New members fill in an electronic form detailing their medical history, which is kept in a secure system, and then go through a symptom checker when they want advice. Dr Eden says he works with about 20 other GPs around the country who can offer private consultations if it is judged that patients need to be seen but cannot go to London."

Rather prophetically the item ended ...

"Prescriptions, where provided, can be e-mailed to pharmacists where they have that facility, or phoned through, although the law at present requires a hard copy to follow. Non-prescription medicines can be delivered overnight by an online pharmacy. Most patients, he says, are younger - 18 to 45 - and comfortable with the service. His critics are doubtless waiting for him to fall. "

BBC also had an online story about

" the first doctor in the UK to offer both a diagnosis and prescriptions to patients over the internet.

He said he set up the website, called e-med, because of growing delays in trying to access a GP on the NHS."

General Medical Council

Curiously if you access the non-public area of the e-med website you can read -

http://www.e-med.co.uk/files/gmc_transcript/transcript_day1.pdf
http://www.e-med.co.uk/files/gmc_transcript/transcript_day2.pdf http://www.e-med.co.uk/files/gmc_transcript/transcript_day3.pdf

Which are the full official transcripts (some 180 pages) of the shorthand notes of T. A. Reed & Co. of a GMC FITNESS TO PRACTISE PANEL (PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT) held on Monday /Tuesday/ Wednesday , 13 February 2007 Regent’s Place, 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3JN - if these disappear from the site, Contact Lord Patel who might know of somewhere where they may be obtained. See how the GMC actually does it's work. These are rare documents.

Which is the official record prepared of the panel's deliberations (Pages 5 -17 on Day 1 simply cover the heads of Charges) into the way prescriptions were issued, how a patient, managed to skilfully forge them and various other matters... of great interest to many people, journalists, medical ethicists and anone who wants to see how Internet prescribing operates - aparently with negligible oversight in the UK.

On the 20th February 2007 BBC Online had another story about Dr Eden -Internet drug GP suspended by GMC

A doctor who prescribed large amounts of dangerous addictive drugs over the internet has been suspended from the medical register.

A General Medical Council hearing was told Dr Julian Eden adopted a "cavalier attitude". Dr Eden, medical director of the online service e-med.co.uk, was suspended for nine months. The GMC upheld a string of charges against Dr Eden, whose private clinic is based at the St John's and St Elizabeth Hospital in north west London.

The British Medical Journal this week - 3rd March 2007 (Vol 334 page446) also reported "Internet doctor is supended for irresponsible prescribing" and stated that Dr Eden admitted "irresponsible conduct"

The Guradian also had a report on 21st February 2007

Internet GP gets nine-month suspension ..... and reported that ...

"A Sun reporter obtained Reductil - for which blood pressure and heart rate should be taken - merely by lying about his weight, and a journalist for the Independent on Sunday was offered Viagra less than two minutes after submitting an application." they also reported that he "once wrote a column for the Guardian travel pages."

The Scotsman had a very detailed story here e-health insider here the York Press (one drug addict considered in evidence by the GMC was from York) here

The British Sub Aqua Club Diving forums also have a discussion here "the Dodgy Doctor" and those members who knew him seemed to speak well of him.

Access to the List of registered Medical Practioners shows that the Fitness to Practise panel on 20/23rd Feb 2007 he was suspended, but that the suspension is not yet in force. He has 28 days to appeal the decision. If he does not appeal, he will reappear before a Fitness to Practice Panel after the nine months suspension in relation to his registration.the GMC registers also show that he is not in the Specialist Register and is not in the GP Register .

This means that Dr Eden would not be allowed to see patients without explaining that he was NOT a registered doctor, which is particularly important for patients, because his medical indemnity insurance wouldn't cover him him, so if anything went wrong there would be limited redress available to the patient.

Subsequent to the excellent Shipman Enquiry the GMC are, under proposals in a White paper issued on February 20th "Trust, Assurance and Safety – The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century" to lose their regulatory powers although they will maintain disciplinary authority.

The Minister of Health, slim, lissom, bright eyed and bushy eyebrowed, Patricia Hewitt says ...

"professional regulation needs to sustain the confidence of both the public and the professions through demonstrable impartiality. Regulators need to be independent of government, the professionals themselves, employers, educators and all the other interest groups involved in healthcare."

You may read the initial GMC response here ""We believe that the proposals in this White Paper provide the basis for effective regulation in the future. "

The signature that launched a thousand prescriptions ... 6 years in operation ... more 200,000 Members and 1/2 MN prescriptions... £20 annual registration fee and £15 a consultation ... that is some mazoooma .. read the GMC transcripts and see how he did it until a small mistake .... a nosy pharmacist in Wales and a good old fashioned cop with a stickler for accuracy .... could make a good fillum.