SINGAPORE: Authorities have blocked the website of online gender clinic GenderGP from users in Singapore as its doctors are not registered to practice here.
The teleconsultation platform offers services such as hormone therapy as well as prescriptions for puberty blockers.
Founded by English physician Helen Webberley in 2015, GenderGP is a registered entity in Singapore.
Responding to CNA's queries sent in June, the authorities said on Wednesday (Dec 4) that GenderGP is not a licensed healthcare provider under the Healthcare Services Act 2020.
"There is no assurance that GenderGP’s services are safe or effective. GenderGP’s prescriptions by doctors based outside Singapore are also not recognised in Singapore," said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
MOH had warned GenderGP on Oct 22 to stop providing medical services to Singapore-based users, after finding that the platform's doctors based outside the country had provided teleconsultation and issued a prescription to one person here.
"GenderGP has been warned not to re-offend," the authorities said, adding that failure to comply can lead to a fine of up to S$100,000 (US$74,000), a maximum jail term of 24 months or both. Repeat offenders face harsher penalties.
The case was also referred to IMDA, which considered the Health Ministry's findings and was satisfied that it is in the public interest to disable access to the GenderGP websites for users in Singapore due to "public health risk".
When CNA checked the website on Wednesday evening, the page had a pop-up that read: "Unfortunately, our services are not currently available in Singapore."
A screenshot of the overview page of the GenderGP website.
GenderGP has been the subject of various controversies in the United Kingdom.
In 2017, Dr Webberley was issued an interim suspension order by the UK's General Medical Council, following complaints about her clinical approach. She was also convicted the following year of running an independent medical agency without being registered.
Although she won her suspension appeal in 2023, her licence was revoked earlier in July for failing to comply with the legal obligation to revalidate it every five years.
Separately, British daily The Telegraph found in 2021 that the clinic was willing to prescribe sex change drugs to children under 16 without parental consent.
Similarly, a 15-year-old was prescribed "dangerous" levels of hormones by the clinic without speaking to a doctor, according to a BBC report published in May. The case was also brought up in parliament by Scottish politician Neale Hanvey.
In the joint reply on Wednesday, Singapore authorities said Dr Webberley is not a registered medical practitioner with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) and therefore cannot practise in Singapore.
"Foreign doctors applying for medical registration in Singapore must be in good standing with the jurisdiction where they were registered and practised," MOH and IMDA said.
The doctors must arrange for a Certificate of Good Standing to be sent to SMC directly by the professional authority in that jurisdiction before their application for a practice certificate will be processed.
Registered medical practitioners must inform the SMC if they are subject to disciplinary inquiry by professional authorities in other jurisdictions.
The authorities strongly advised people against using GenderGP’s telehealthcare services.
"It is also clinically unsafe and inappropriate for persons in Singapore to seek telehealth services from GenderGP, without any prior medical examination, clinical evaluation or blood tests," they added.
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The teleconsultation platform offers services such as hormone therapy as well as prescriptions for puberty blockers.
Founded by English physician Helen Webberley in 2015, GenderGP is a registered entity in Singapore.
Responding to CNA's queries sent in June, the authorities said on Wednesday (Dec 4) that GenderGP is not a licensed healthcare provider under the Healthcare Services Act 2020.
"There is no assurance that GenderGP’s services are safe or effective. GenderGP’s prescriptions by doctors based outside Singapore are also not recognised in Singapore," said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
MOH had warned GenderGP on Oct 22 to stop providing medical services to Singapore-based users, after finding that the platform's doctors based outside the country had provided teleconsultation and issued a prescription to one person here.
"GenderGP has been warned not to re-offend," the authorities said, adding that failure to comply can lead to a fine of up to S$100,000 (US$74,000), a maximum jail term of 24 months or both. Repeat offenders face harsher penalties.
The case was also referred to IMDA, which considered the Health Ministry's findings and was satisfied that it is in the public interest to disable access to the GenderGP websites for users in Singapore due to "public health risk".
When CNA checked the website on Wednesday evening, the page had a pop-up that read: "Unfortunately, our services are not currently available in Singapore."
A screenshot of the overview page of the GenderGP website.
CONTROVERSIAL TELEMEDICINE PLATFORM
GenderGP has been the subject of various controversies in the United Kingdom.
In 2017, Dr Webberley was issued an interim suspension order by the UK's General Medical Council, following complaints about her clinical approach. She was also convicted the following year of running an independent medical agency without being registered.
Although she won her suspension appeal in 2023, her licence was revoked earlier in July for failing to comply with the legal obligation to revalidate it every five years.
Separately, British daily The Telegraph found in 2021 that the clinic was willing to prescribe sex change drugs to children under 16 without parental consent.
Similarly, a 15-year-old was prescribed "dangerous" levels of hormones by the clinic without speaking to a doctor, according to a BBC report published in May. The case was also brought up in parliament by Scottish politician Neale Hanvey.
In the joint reply on Wednesday, Singapore authorities said Dr Webberley is not a registered medical practitioner with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) and therefore cannot practise in Singapore.
"Foreign doctors applying for medical registration in Singapore must be in good standing with the jurisdiction where they were registered and practised," MOH and IMDA said.
The doctors must arrange for a Certificate of Good Standing to be sent to SMC directly by the professional authority in that jurisdiction before their application for a practice certificate will be processed.
Registered medical practitioners must inform the SMC if they are subject to disciplinary inquiry by professional authorities in other jurisdictions.
The authorities strongly advised people against using GenderGP’s telehealthcare services.
"It is also clinically unsafe and inappropriate for persons in Singapore to seek telehealth services from GenderGP, without any prior medical examination, clinical evaluation or blood tests," they added.
Continue reading...