Princess Anne's scientific meeting

Apr 18, 2008, 12:15 GMT

Britain's Princess Anne attended the annual scientific meeting of Britain's children's doctors in York yesterday (17.04.08).

The Princess Royal, who is a patron of the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health (RCPCH), went to the conference at the University of York, where doctors and researchers gather to discuss a variety of issues including immunization, child sexual abuse and breastfeeding.

However, there was controversy at the four-day conference, which finishes today (18.04.08), when 32 members of the RCPCH signed a motion of ?no confidence' against the General Medical Council, asking them to review their procedures on dealing with child protection complaints.

The members say the GMC are putting off paediatricians from appearing as expert witnesses in court cases because of their heavy-handedness, and referenced a specific time when they banned two paediatricians because of their conduct in a child court case.

In 2005, Sir Roy Meadow was struck off for giving ?misleading' evidence in Sally Clark's trial, in which she was accused of murdering her two sons.

The year before, Professor David Southall was also banned after accusing a mother of both drugging and murdering her son.

The GMC, however, said the bans were not a common occurrence, and child doctors rarely face any disciplinary action.

(C) BANG Media International