Retired GP walks out of Medical Council inquiry over Covid-19 posts

A retired Cavan GP walked out of a Medical Council fitness-to-practise inquiry after allegations that his social media posts during the pandemic undermined public health guidance.

Dr Michael McConville, who retired from practice in Cavan town in 2024, is facing five allegations of professional misconduct linked to 19 tweets and one retweet posted between January 2021 and February 2022. The Medical Council alleges the posts criticised PCR testing, vaccines and face masks, promoted ivermectin as a treatment for Covid-19, and questioned aspects of the pandemic response.

Among the statements alleged during the inquiry were claims that PCR testing was “invented to create and sustain a pandemic to promote the suspension of human rights and the sale of an experimental ‘vaccine’ by coercion”, and that Covid-19 had been “created on a computer”.

Representing himself before the committee, Dr McConville repeatedly told the inquiry: “I don’t know why I am here.” He argued that his right to freedom of expression, protected under the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, could not amount to professional misconduct.

The 76-year-old, who qualified in medicine in 1983 at Queen’s University Belfast and practised as a GP for more than four decades, said he had never been the subject of a patient complaint in Ireland or the UK.

He claimed the allegations against him were intended to create “a chilling effect on free speech” and accused the Medical Council of “weaponising” the Medical Practitioners Act against doctors who challenged Covid-era policies.

Dr McConville also criticised the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, describing them as “a novel technology never before used in human history”, and claimed the Medical Council should be questioning the Government rather than “prosecuting” him.

During his submission, he challenged the evidence against him, describing an expert report prepared by GP Dr Nick Flynn as “hearsay of hearsay”, and alleged Dr Flynn had a conflict of interest because of involvement with a PCR testing company.

After making his submission, Dr McConville informed the committee he was leaving, reportedly saying he had “a bus to catch”. He then walked out of the hearing to applause and a standing ovation from supporters in the public gallery, including fellow doctors who have faced similar fitness-to-practise proceedings linked to criticism of Covid-19 public health measures.

Counsel for the Medical Council, Neasa Bird BL, subsequently applied for the inquiry to continue in Dr McConville’s absence. The committee, chaired by Ronan Quirke, granted the application after concluding he had voluntarily withdrawn from proceedings.

Ms Bird told the inquiry that interactions on social media showed users understood Dr McConville was a doctor and noted that professional conduct guidelines require doctors to promote patient safety and comply with legislation.

The following day, Dr Nick Flynn, a GP with MyCorkGP in Holyhill, Cork, said he believed the GP’s comments were “disgraceful and dishonourable” and fell short of standards expected of doctors, which constituted professional misconduct.

The witness claimed Dr McConville was selective in the medical studies he quoted, which challenged public health guidelines.

Dr Flynn told the inquiry that second-guessing the advice and guidance of an expert body like the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) with selective studies was “incorrect.”

He said NPHET was a group of 58 medical and scientific experts who analysed and distilled volumes of rapidly evolving studies and data into recommendations that would benefit the public health response in Ireland.

He acknowledged that doctors were on “a huge learning curve” during the pandemic.

While GPs are entitled to their opinion, Dr Flynn said they should be respectful of colleagues and not undermine public confidence in the profession.

He claimed a series of tweets by Dr McConville, which questioned the benefit of wearing facemasks, emboldened people who did not want to follow the advice of NPHET about wearing such equipment.

Dr Flynn said the GP was also promoting the use of ivermectin as a treatment for Covid at a time when it was not licensed for use outside of controlled clinical trials.

Asked if he had a conflict of interest, as suggested by Dr McConville, as founder of Sure Rapid Testing - a company which conducted Covid-19 tests - Dr Flynn replied that it was very selective to pick such a role when he was also a practising GP.

The hearing was adjourned to a future date still to be fixed for closing submissions.