The doctor who sparked the MMR controversy “showed a callous disregard” for the suffering of children and “abused his position of trust”, a disciplinary panel in Britain ruled today.
Dr Andrew Wakefield’s conduct brought the medical profession “into disrepute” after he took blood samples from youngsters at his son’s birthday party in return for payments of £5.
The doctor, who was absent from today’s General Medical Council (GMC) hearing, faces being struck off the medical register.
The panel decided the allegations against him could amount to serious professional misconduct, which will be decided at a later date.
Panel chairman Dr Surendra Kumar was heckled by distraught parents who support Dr Wakefield as he delivered the verdicts.
One woman shouted: “These doctors have not failed our children. You are outrageous.”
She called the panel of experts “b*******” and accused the GMC of being a “kangaroo court”.
Another shouted: “This is a set-up.”
The GMC also found today that Dr Wakefield “failed in his duties as a responsible consultant” and went against the interests of children in his care in conducting research.
He further acted dishonestly and was misleading and irresponsible in the way he described a study which was later published in The Lancet medical journal, the GMC said.
In the late 1990s, Dr Wakefield and two other doctors said they believed they had uncovered a link between the MMR jab, bowel disease and autism.
The research sparked a massive drop in the number of children given the triple jab for measles, mumps and rubella.
The hearing has sat for 148 days over a two-and-a-half year period.
A total of 36 witnesses gave evidence at the hearing, which has reportedly cost more than £1 million.
PA