letter to prince charles for dr skinner. Pleas... - Thyroid UK

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letter to prince charles for dr skinner. Please read and perhaps consider sending one of your own. I think it is an issue he would support.

27 Replies

Dear Prince Charles,

I hope you are well and have been able to enjoy a good Christmas.

I am writing to you with the purpose of bringing to your attention a very exceptional man who died recently, a sad loss to myself and the thousands of people he helped as well as to the wider world.

His name was Dr Gordon Skinner. He was a medical doctor who worked and fought hard to try to ensure people with an underactive thyriod were treated effectively. He also invented a vaccine for herpes and produced, using cactus plants, a treatment for the common cold and other viruses.

Sadly none of his ground breaking work was not given the respect or recognition it deserved. He was absolutely hounded by the GMC for working and thinking slightly differently and only able to continue to practice because of the enormous support from thousands of people he had made well when conventional approaches had failed.

I had the privilege of meeting him only once as a patient. He was a rather eccentric Glaswegian of working class origin who must have worked hard to become a doctor. He was very gentle and thorough in the way he questioned me about my health and was the first doctor in spite of the many I had tried to talk to who took my concerns about my thyroid seriously and offered to help.

It is tragic that this proud hard working older man has his reputation so badly damaged by the GMC who it seems tolerate all kinds of untrustworthy behaviour in their doctors as long as they toe the line.

I wondered whether you might be able to look into his work. As a nurse myself I was very impressed. There will be much talk about him I imagine of the thyroid UK website currently. I thought that perhaps you might be able to give him some kind of posthumous award when you become king for his services to medicine. It would go some way towards making amends to this man and his family and also raise the profile of his important work.

I write to you as just one patient but hope that a few more will sign this letter in support

With Kind regards

Mandy Jane.

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27 Replies
Moggie profile image
Moggie

Great letter, although I did alter a few obvious spelling mistakes and I think it may need altering some more.

Good on you for wanting to do this.

Moggie x

humanbean profile image
humanbean

Dr Skinner's first name is spelled Gordon not Gorden.

Nice idea. I'd be interested in knowing what kind of reply you get.

ladydawny profile image
ladydawny

I would have but I understand the position of King is going right past Charles on to William. Charles could still be some good though. What about getting him on the honours list postumously? Where do we write to for that?

lola1956 profile image
lola1956 in reply to ladydawny

What rubbish ladydawny prince charles has never officially said that he would not be king

howlyn profile image
howlyn in reply to lola1956

do not sign it then at least some of us are trying to make people understand what a fantastic DR he was but also a very good friend. Perhaps you have ideas what to do.

lola1956 profile image
lola1956 in reply to howlyn

Are you talking to me ..I only rubbished the bit about charles not being king ..I have nothing but respect for dr skinner

in reply to lola1956

I,m still talking to you.

JANJAN2 profile image
JANJAN2

Yes, a good idea and I would be happy to sign it.

bantam12 profile image
bantam12

royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Hono...

adviceguide.org.uk/england/...

It states at the bottom that if the nominated person dies then an award cannot be given, unclear if that also includes those that have died before applying.

in reply to bantam12

Dear Hypohen, Thanks for looking up the legalities but I am betting they will change overtime and with the next monarch. I am very disillusioned with the way things are run currently and the current monarch but I have a lot of faith in Charles. Even if he can't give Dr Skinner a traditional award it is the kind of issue I think he would care about and act upon.

I am sure awards can be given after death otherwise a lot of soldiers who died for their country would not get any medals. I don't know about legalitys and stuff but the princes office would know and I am sure Charles is still in line to be king according to his website or twitter page. I've seen it somewhere. I had also heard the rumour about William but its either not true or official anyway.

I am emailing letter to Dr Skinners office where people can sign if they wish. I will correct some spellings first.

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply to

It appears military honours and queens awards are different.

howlyn profile image
howlyn

i will sign it a very good letter.

Denne profile image
Denne

Me too,nice on x.

Rubie2009 profile image
Rubie2009

Hi, I am new to this site - I think it is lovely that you have taken the time to write this letter. I have been a patient of Dr Skinner for almost two years. He was a warm, kind and caring man, I was due to see him again in January as he started me on T(3) Liothyronine 20mcg which recently increased to 30mcg - and although I do not feel one hundred per cent, I feel much better than I did prior to being seen by him. He was a truely wonderful man and he will be sadly missed but never, ever forgotten!! Xx :-) I will definitely sign your letter!! :-)

waveylines profile image
waveylines

May I make a further suggestion? -i think what would be even more powerful would be in addition to signing we wrote a little about our own experiences/ thoughts on this wonderful man. I am/was a patient of Dr Skinner for a number of years -he saved my life -without his medical expertise I would be bed ridden by now -instead I work full time and lead an active life with only the odd few days when I feel 'off' which is usually due to meds/ supplements needing adjusting. For me the saddest thing is the fact that he was extremely well recogonised by his thousands of patients and followers in the UK abd avroad but not by his fellow practioners in the NHS medical fraternity, it would be fantastic if we could turn their heads -after all what medical doctor has such a devoted following of patients and so many - surely all speaks volumes.

Sorry if I am rambling -I have n't go my head around his passing......hard to believe he is gone.

alangardner profile image
alangardner

what a super idea to recognise someone , that I had never met - but from the comments on this site - have nothing but total respect and admiration for , if all of us on this [ our ] site were to get behind this and succeed his family will be absolutely prouder of him and what a legacy ......I will gain and campaign locally many others for this cause ....alan xx

lola1956 profile image
lola1956

I will happily sign it ...well done

lola1956 profile image
lola1956

I wish I had got the chance to meet him

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Don't forget to add this to your letter and say that nowadays few doctors are trained as he was

by looking and listening to the patient.

worldthyroidregister.com/de...

ellarose1234 profile image
ellarose1234

I like the idea of a letter for us all to sign.

I have been to the worldthyroidregister.co and the number of those who have signed has not changed from 5,346 for a long time. I think as this was Dr. Skinners website that he was up dating the numbers and it has not changed since his death? Is there anyway we can find out the exact numbers?

There are so many of us who would sign this register. I'm sure there are many more than the 5,346 mentioned. That would be a serious way of showing our respects to Dr. Skinner?

JennyC2 profile image
JennyC2

I think this is a good idea. I never met Dr Skinner but his book really opened my eyes and gave me an understanding that I would never have got from any other medical professional that I have met.

In practical terms how do we do this?

Thanks. Jx

Would you consider writing to The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, instead of HRH Prince Charles? In losing Dr Skinner we have lost hope. Archbishop Welby knows about hope and he is of the same mould as Dr Skinner was: he doesn't know where the boundaries are. I believe writing to the Archbishop would be more effective.

Polaris profile image
Polaris in reply to

I agree. Great letter but not to Charles.

bantam12 profile image
bantam12

From The honours system website,

" The person must still be actively involved in what you are nominating them for"

and

"it is not possible for a posthumous award to be made"

Hiphypo profile image
Hiphypo

Great letter, very heartfelt, I really hope it is taken note of and acted upon.

Wee typo: "...none of his ground breaking work was not given..." - double negative: needs to be either:

"... his ground breaking work was not given...", or

"...none of his ground breaking work was given..."

Hope you don't mind me pointing this out, it is wonderful that you thought of doing this.

galathea profile image
galathea

"Sadly none of his ground breaking work was not given the respect or recognition it deserved"

A double negative, if none of his work was not given recognition, the this means it all was given recognition..... You need to take out the not....

Xx

G

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