Doctor Receives Formal Warning Over 'Grossly Offensive' Social Media Posts
A junior doctor who joked about gassing Jewish people and described Jewish individuals as 'Jew banker goblins' has avoided being struck off from the medical register despite an investigation into his antisemitic social media activity.
Dr Martin Whyte, who previously held an executive position with the British Medical Association, faced suspension in 2023 after a series of what authorities described as 'utterly vile' tweets came to light. The General Medical Council has now concluded that while his posts were 'grossly offensive', they fell just short of warranting removal from the medical profession.
Investigation Reveals Disturbing Social Media History
The medical regulator's investigation committee heard that Dr Whyte made multiple offensive posts between 2017 and 2018, including one that referenced the deadly Pittsburgh synagogue attack that killed 11 people in 2018. In response to news of the tragedy, Dr Whyte tweeted: 'hahaha zeig heil hahaha gas the jews hahaha just kidding but have you seen these youtube videos about the holohoax they're pretty convincing imo...'
Another post from 2018 read: 'Me: It's important to represent Judaism and Jewish people fairly and respectfully in art. Also me: Jew banker goblins.' The investigation committee noted that this language employed antisemitic stereotypes about Jewish people's involvement in banking and used derogatory physical descriptions.
Dr Whyte, who currently works as a specialist trainee in paediatrics with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, also advocated for boycotting Israel 'out of spite' in another social media post.
GMC's Controversial Decision
Despite finding the tweets offensive, the GMC investigation committee determined that Dr Whyte's posts were 'not intentionally antisemitic' and concluded that his conduct didn't pose sufficient risk to public protection to justify striking him off. Instead, he received a formal warning that will remain on his online record for two years and must be disclosed to any potential future employers.
Colette Renton, representing the GMC during the three-day virtual hearing in August, argued that Dr Whyte's reference to 'Jew banker goblins' represented 'an extremely reductive stereotype' that inferred Jewish people were prevalent in banking trade. She noted that 'goblins' serves as an antisemitic slur used to stereotype physical appearance or suggest untrustworthiness.
The investigation committee found two of Dr Whyte's tweets to be antisemitic, while another post about journalist Andrew Neil was deemed 'grossly offensive'. In that message, Dr Whyte suggested without evidence that Neil maintained his BBC position because he and then-director general Tony Hall had 'killed a prostitute together'.
Wider Context of Medical Professional Conduct
This case emerges amid growing concerns about antisemitism within the medical profession. The Campaign Against Antisemitism described Dr Whyte's tweets as 'utterly vile' and criticised the GMC's decision as 'another spectacular failure by the medical regulator'.
A spokesperson for the advocacy group told Daily Mail: 'Is there any level of racism against Jewish people that the GMC would consider worthy of actual disciplinary action? If so, we have yet to see it. Antisemitism is at record highs in our society and regulators are totally asleep at the wheel.'
The BMA has confirmed that Dr Whyte has been removed from 'any and all BMA business' and will not be permitted to return to represent the organisation in any elected capacity. In a statement to members in 2023, the association described his comments as 'totally unacceptable' and emphasised that there is 'absolutely no place in the BMA for anti-Semitism'.
This case follows other high-profile investigations involving medical professionals and allegations of antisemitism, including Dr Rahmeh Aladwan, an NHS junior doctor who stated she 'would never condemn' the October 7 Hamas attacks and Dr Ellen Kriesels, a consultant paediatrician facing tribunal over comments about 'Jewish supremacy'.
The GMC maintains that it conducted a 'full and thorough investigation' and that the formal warning represents 'a formal, significant disciplinary action on a doctor's registration'.
