YouTube and Twitter Covid posts led to downfall of Greater Manchester surgeon

A senior NHS surgeon in Greater Manchester has been struck off for claiming the Covid pandemic was a ‘worldwide conspiracy’ and publicly criticising lockdowns and vaccines.

Muhammad Adil, a senior surgeon who had worked at hospitals across the region, was brought before a disciplinary tribunal after he labelled Covid a ‘flu like virus’ and repeated various conspiracy theories about the illness on YouTube and X – formerly known as Twitter.

He was suspended for six months from medical practice in June 2022 over the posts after he initially apologised for the ‘silly’ remarks. But months later, the 64-year-old later reiterated his views, claiming he was entitled to ‘free speech’ and that his beliefs were aired outside of work hours.

Now, following a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, a fitness to practise panel ordered Adil’s name to be erased from the medical register following a review hearing which he refused to attend. He is currently appealing against the sanctions.

Adil espoused conspiracy theories during lockdown

Adil, a married father-of-three, was a locum consultant colorectal surgeon at Royal Oldham who also says on his fundraising page has worked at North Manchester General Hospital. He started posting his conspiracy theory views on Covid in April 2020 – a month after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK into its first lockdown.

In a series of videos, he claimed Covid-19 did not exist and the pandemic was a ”conspiracy brought on by the United Kingdom, Israel and America as part of a multibillion scam being manipulated for the benefit of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, pharmaceutical companies and the World Health Organisation.”

He also repeated views from conspiracy theorists claiming the pandemic was being used to ”impose a new world order” and that ”vaccines would be given to everyone, by force if necessary which could potentially contain microchips that affect the human body and further the 5G mobile phone technology.”

Last year, a tribunal found Adil used his position as a doctor in the UK to ”promote his opinions.” It acknowledged he was a competent surgeon but said his actions ”undermined public health and public confidence in the medical profession” and found his views were ”contrary to widely accepted medical opinion at the time.”

It also said a period of suspension would allow Adil ”to reflect carefully on the findings of the tribunal in order to be able to demonstrate that he fully understood and appreciated that impact and its consequences.’

At the time Adil, who now lives in Milton Keynes, told an appraiser he had felt a ”strong sense of injustice” over the response to the pandemic but had since accepted his videos were ”wrong and jeopardised the public’s trust in the medical profession at the time of the growing covid pandemic.”

Yet the following November, Adil posted a series of tweets saying: ”Covid is only a flu virus. It has not killed people. People have been killed by lockdowns, fear created of dying, heart attacks, cancers, lung diseases, strokes, lack of medical facilities, dehydration, isolation depression due to financial hardship.

“Not a single trial has proved efficacy of mRNA vaccine to be safe and effective. Vaccine is neither safe, nor effective and destroys your bodily immune system. We have no data to prove its efficacy & safety.”

A Crowdfunding campaign he set up read: ”Enormous fear was created of Covid -19 being most lethal virus which caused serious confusion, uncertainty and stress among public. Large number of people died of lock down isolation, depression,s tress & anxiety especially the elderly,underprivileged adults and children.

”Travel restrictions, the collapse of businesses across the world caused serious financial hardship for people. There has not been any robust scientific debate prior to imposing such restrictions and lock down on public.”

Adil ‘unquestionably abused his position as a doctor’

Counsel for the General Medical Council, Martin Mensah told the hearing: ”When he appeared before the Tribunal in June 2022 Mr Adil said that he had reflected and understood the impact of the videos. He had conceded that he should not have used his position as a doctor in the way he had and referred to having said something silly.

”But in November 2022 Mr Adil again posted content on Twitter which contradicted what he had told the Tribunal. His posts referred again to the vaccine being unsafe and not properly trialled and referred to there being numerous deaths as a result of it. He repeated his claim that the coronavirus was a hoax. His current views are those which he espoused in the videos in 2020.”

Adil sent a statement to the MPTS saying: “I am not attending as I have no confidence in the MPTS – my lack of confidence in the MPTS is evidenced by my appeal hearing which is currently before the Court of Appeal.”

He also suggested the GMC had ”taken a position in favour of the government and global approach to the declared pandemic” adding it was effectively condoning a ”cartel organising and enforcing a criminal enterprise.”

MPTS chairman Mrs Alison Storey said: ”Mr Adil still holds, and is willing to publicly reiterate, the views expressed in the videos which were the subject of the misconduct finding.

”This suggests that his expressions to the Tribunal in June 2022 were not genuine and were said, for expediency. He appears to have misled that Tribunal and does not accept that his actions were wrong – in fact he seeks to justify them at length.

”The position for him is worse now than it was before the Tribunal in 2022. He has posted further similar comments on social media and is no longer expressing remorse or regret and the insight which was thought to be developing is now seen to be non-existent. It may not have been genuine when expressed to the Tribunal in 2022.

”Mr Adil has unquestionably abused his position as a doctor. When considering the totality of the misconduct, in particularly his persistent conduct at espousing views that were contrary to widely accepted medical opinion he has demonstrated a deliberate disregard of expected professional standards. Mr Adil’s behaviour had the potential to put patients at risk of harm.”

Last year, Adil’s supporters launched a petition on Change.org, which garnered more than 4,000 signatures and raised £8,233 on Just Giving towards his legal costs calling on the GMC to reinstate him.

But at a High Court hearing last February, Mr Justice Swift noted that the right to freedom of expression under article 10 of the European Convention may be restricted where necessary ”in the interests of public safety and for the protection of public health.”

The judge said of Adil’s views on Covid: “All this was outlandish and none of this was mitigated by the fact that Mr Adil was ‘outside work.’ Where or when the YouTube videos were made is largely immaterial nor is it material that Mr Adil was not acting in the course of treating any patient.”

”What mattered was that Mr Adil used his position as a doctor to promote an opinion on a matter of medical importance.”