2nd Dec 2024: HXR members risk arrest in solidarity with Sarah Benn
A group of HXR doctors and nurses protested peacefully against the fossil fuel industry today, on injuncted land at Kingsbury Oil terminal in Warwickshire. The action comes as GP Dr Sarah Benn, supported by lawyers from the British Medical Association (BMA), will appeal the decision of a medical tribunal to suspend her registration as a result of breaching this same injunction – an action for which she already received a custodial sentence.
The group stood peacefully on a verge within the barred area, obstructing nobody, holding placards with messages on the health risks of the climate emergency and badges stating ‘#I am Sarah Benn’.
Dr Christine Blunden, a practising GP, said
‘We are here to highlight the obscenity of having laws which protect destructive industries from peaceful protest. The world’s leading medical journal has named the climate crisis as the number one global health threat.(1) I am already firefighting disease processes caused by air pollution related to fossil fuel burning. Our health systems cannot cope with the additional strain caused by spiralling extreme weather events, heat stress and rising infectious diseases. Our own government is in breach of its own net zero commitments (2) yet has prioritised introducing a series of measures, such as the ability to obtain injunctions like this one, which penalise climate protests rather than addressing its’ own failings.’
Dr Benn’s suspension sparked outcry across the medical world, with the BMA passing a motion at their annual conference in solidarity with activists acting out of concern for public health.(3)
The General Medical Council (GMC) asked the tribunal to suspend Dr Benn, stating that her actions undermined public trust in the profession due to her receiving a custodial sentence for being in contempt of court, though they provided no evidence to back up this claim. Members of the public also rallied in support, submitting to the GMC an open letter signed by over 2000 people in support of Dr Benn’s actions and those of other doctors taking part in non violent direct actions to protect public health in the face of the climate crisis.(4)
“As a GP I have spent my entire working life caring for patients, helping them through illness and advising them how to minimise risks to their health. It seems to me that the severe weather patterns we are now experiencing due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions are in direct opposition to my work as a doctor. The climate crisis is a health crisis. For the sake of our public health, especially for children, we should take necessary action to address this emergency.“ Dr Kathy Fallon, retired GP
‘Health professionals work with the most vulnerable and know that the pollution and climate breakdown caused by fossil fuels are already impacting patients. As those impacts increase, the sick and disabled, the elderly and very young are the ones most likely to be affected. We must transition with urgency from fossil fuels to sustainable options.’ Karen Rock, retired community mental health nurse
The outcome of Dr Benn’s appeal is awaited.
Social Media:
https://bsky.app/profile/healthxr.bsky.social/post/3lcd66pybg22p
https://twitter.com/doctorsxr/status/1863564189228257483?s=48
References:
1. https://www.thelancet.com/countdown-health-climate
2.https://www.clientearth.org/latest/news/we-re-taking-the-uk-government-over-its-net-zero-strategy/