This site is intended for health professionals only


42. Dr Hendrick Beerstecher

Despite the risk to himself and his career, Dr Hendrik Beerstecher decided to covertly film a CQC inspection in his practice in 2016 with the aim of standing up for GPs against oppression and increasing administrative demands.

He broadcast the recordings on the practice website, alongside comments he deemed to be humorous – including ‘boohoo’, ‘secrets’ and ‘orchestrated smear’. CQC did not agree with his intended tone and said the comments were ‘upsetting’ for staff.

As a result, last year Dr Beerstecher was suspended from the register for two months after a tribunal held by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in November. It was deemed that there was a ‘real risk’ that he would repeat his misconduct which the GMC called ‘self-facing, motivated by his need to rally patients for his own cause’.

However, his stand against the regulator was praised by colleagues and patients who wrote letters of support and testified on his behalf in his tribunal.

Despite being back on the GMC register from February, Dr Beerstecher has not been readmitted to the performer’s list and instead has retired from general practice.

But he has pledged to continue challenging the increasing administrative demands in general practice and promote the benefit of audio files for patient consultations instead of ‘trying to meet impossible demands’ of written records.

Why influential: Put his career on the line to stand up to CQC

What others say: ‘Stood up to the CQC bullies’.

What he says: ‘I am 21 years old, and have been 21 for many years now’