Vulnerable children 'recruited by MMR row medics'

Published on Friday 20 July 2007 01:12

DOCTORS working on the research programme which sparked the MMR controversy recruited vulnerable children directly from their GPs for unnecessary invasive testing, a hearing was told yesterday.

Dr Andrew Wakefield telephoned the surgery of one eight-year-old boy he thought might be suitable for his study and argued that he should be referred to the hospital where he worked, the General Medical Council's Fitness to Practice Panel was told. A colleague, Professor John Walker-Smith, did the same with another child from Jersey, by writing to his GP after hearing about the case from Dr Wakefield, the hearing heard.

Dr Wakefield, Prof Walker-Smith and Prof Simon Murch are all charged with serious professional misconduct and face being struck off the medical register if found guilty by the GMC panel sitting in London.

The trio, who all deny the charges, published a paper in the Lancet medical journal in February 1998 suggesting a link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab and bowel disease and autism. It led to falling numbers of parents immunising their children and a row over whether Tony Blair, the then-prime minister, had vaccinated his son Leo.

The central allegation relates to investigations for their study on 12 youngsters with bowel disorders carried out between 1996 and 1998.

At the time, all three were employed at the Royal Free Hospital's medical school in London, with honorary clinical contracts at the Royal Free Hospital.

Sally Smith QC, for the GMC, today outlined more cases of children who, the GMC claims, were referred to the research programme. 'Child 5' was referred to the hospital in 1996 aged eight. He had the vaccine in 1990.

Another boy, 'Child 9', was referred from Jersey after a letter was sent to his doctor by Prof Walker-Smith after Dr Wakefield provided him with details.

The hearing continues.