Limerick GP who described Covid vaccine policy as 'totally evil' facing misconduct inquiry

Seán McCárthaigh

A Limerick GP who described the State’s policy on Covid-19 vaccines as “coercive” and “totally evil” has appeared before a fitness-to-practise inquiry of the Medical Council over allegations that he undermined public health guidelines during the pandemic.

Patrick Morrissey of the Adare Medical Centre in Adare, Co Limerick, is facing nine separate counts of professional misconduct as well as poor professional performance and breaches of the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners over his prescribing practice, social media posts and comments at large public gatherings against Covid-19 restrictions.

The inquiry heard the GP believes he is being punished for being outspoken in his views, which has caused him suffering in terms of his income and professional standing.

Morrissey, who has practised for around 20 years in Adare, said he found it “distressful” that the Medical Council would think he would put his patients at risk by his actions.

Several allegations relate to the prescribing by Morrissey of certain prescription medicines, including hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin and azithromycin as treatments for Covid-19 symptoms.

Other allegations concern 21 different social media posts published by the GP between November 2020 and September 2021 on his Twitter (now X) account, which had over 3,800 followers, relating to the Covid-19 virus and vaccines.

They include claims that the vaccines were being introduced as “totalitarian control by the medico-fascist overlords” while “facts are rejected to push an experimental therapy on young people whose risks vastly outweigh any benefit by taking it.”

The inquiry heard that Morrissey also posted that “they are coming for your children” after the chairperson of the National Public Health Emergency Team, Tony Holohan, had announced that vaccines for children were being considered.

In another tweet, the GP claimed that Covid tests were “dogshit.”

Other allegations related to comments made by Morrissey at two public rallies in late 2020 which were critical of the response of the health authorities to the pandemic.

The GP is also accused of failing to respond appropriately when asked by the mother of a 17-month-old boy with a respiratory condition to wear a face mask during a consultation on December 13, 2021.

The fitness-to-practise committee was informed that Dr Morrisey had apologised and expressed regret for responding to the woman in an unprofessional, haughty manner.

The GP admitted raising his voice and diminishing her concerns but said he believed that her demand that he should wear a face mask was "unreasonable".

However, he also accepted that he should have been “more measured and calm".

The inquiry heard that the GP had maintained in correspondence with the Medical Council that the effectiveness of face masks to prevent infection had repeatedly been shown to be “a delusion and a lie".

Morrissey pointed out to the hearing that the woman had subsequently withdrawn her complaint to the Medical Council about the incident.

However, counsel for the Medical Council, Neasa Bird, said the regulatory body was still legally entitled to proceed with a complaint against a GP even if it had been withdrawn by the original complainant.

Bird told the inquiry that the prescribing by Morrissey of certain prescription medicines as treatments for Covid-19 was contrary to guidelines issued by the HSE and the European Medicines Agency.

Bird said the “off-label” prescribing of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin was inappropriate and not safe prescribing in a GP setting under Medical Council guidelines.

The inquiry heard that Morrissey was not denying that he had prescribed such medicines for patients but insisted he was following best international evidence and was giving his patients “the best information and guidance".

On his social media posts, Bird noted that the GP had posted a picture of the gates of Auschwitz concentration camp which replaced the infamous motto “Arbeit macht frei” (work makes one free) with “VACCINES WILL MAKE YOU FREE.”

Morrissey claimed the picture was “a retweet.”

Bird said the official Twitter account of the Auschwitz Memorial had responded to the post by criticising how the symbol had been abused in a manner that was a “sad symptom of moral and intellectual decline".

At the outset of the hearing on Tuesday, Morrissey pointed out that none of the patients he had treated with certain prescription medicines had made complaints to the Medical Council about him.

The inquiry heard the GP was removed from his position as chairperson of the out-of-hours GP service in Limerick, Shannondoc, as a result of comments he had made at a public rally against Covid-19 restrictions at the Customs House in Dublin on October 3rd, 2020.

Morrissey had claimed at the protest organised by Yellow Vests Ireland that “our rights are being trampled by the Government and an outfit called NPHET” which he claimed were “completely out of touch.”

The GP also claimed that NPHET was using “meaningless data” on swab results “to subdue the people of Ireland.”

During his speech, Morrisey urged the crowd to “take back our country from these megalomaniac bureaucrats.”

Addressing another public meeting in Limerick city centre on December 19th, 2020, he commented in relation to vaccines that “this coercive policy is totally evil, evil, evil and it is against the Nuremberg charter.”

The GP later remarked during his speech: “I will not let their ignorance and their greed dictate how I live my life. They will have to pry my freedom from my cold dead hands.”

He added: “I would rather die standing than live on my knees. They can all f**k off.”

Bird told the inquiry that freedom of expression was “not an absolute right”, while the Medical Council had made it very clear that doctors should not advocate defiance of medical guidelines during a public health emergency.

She argued that Morrissey very clearly relied on his status as a GP in making his public comments.

The barrister said he should or must have known, as a doctor, that his comments would carry influence and weight and that they should not be used to undermine the profession or public health guidelines.

The inquiry, which is expected to last three days, was adjourned and will resume on Wednesday.