Introduction
In the Autumn of 2024, EveryDoctor constructed a Doctors’ Manifesto for the NHS using inputs gathered from over 400 frontline NHS doctors, which outlines our key priorities to help UK politicians create meaningful change in the NHS. We offered 4 briefings to MPs from October to December 2024 to provide detailed information about the proposals put forward in the Manifesto, including expert testimony from NHS doctors.
In January 2025 we ran a follow up briefing. This emergency briefing was well supported by 104 MP offices. Attendees received the emergency briefing document and heard first hand testimony from 3 doctors working on the frontline in different areas of the NHS, which described the current situation in the NHS in such compelling and painful detail that it was difficult to ignore.
During this period our supporter community joined our efforts to engage with MPs and, as part of that community outreach, we asked that we be copied into any replies our supporters received from those MPs.
Many MPs shared our concerns about the current situation in the NHS, others replied with the ‘official party line’, some didn’t reply to their constituents at all and others have approached us for helping in formulating parliamentary questions and motions. We have made it clear that we are available to help politicians in any way we can.
Then we were sent the response Dr Kieran Mullan MP offered to one of his constituents. The comments about the uptake of the flu vaccination were part of the standard Conservative communications office response, but the boldened text in the second paragraph (boldened by us for clarity) is the reason we have decided to make a formal complaint about this MP:
Dear <redacted>,
I hope you are well and thank you for getting in contact and for your patience in waiting for my reply.
I appreciate you inviting me to attend the meeting being organised by EveryDoctor on Wednesday 22 January. I don’t attend briefings or work with EveryDoctor. I find that their social media is more concerned with building their social media following and raising money to further that than genuine efforts to engage sensibly and constructively with the challenges facing the NHS.
I fully recognise that there have been significant pressures on A&E and other health services during this winter, including in our Bexhill and Battle constituency. Please be assured that I am in regular contact with our local NHS Trust and staff to better understand the issues they are facing, and what they need to assist them in their work.
There has been a significant increase in the number of bed spaces occupied by flu patients, partly due to vaccination rates among eligible groups being below the levels needed to protect the NHS. Three times as many people have been hospitalised because of flu this winter compared to the previous year, which has contributed to significant waiting times in some Accident and Emergency departments.
Given the growing pressure on hospitals, I call on the Labour Government and the UK Health Security Agency to step up their efforts to promote the flu vaccine and increase uptake among eligible groups.
Thank you for taking the time to write to me.
Kind regards,
Kieran.
Dr Kieran Mullan MP
Member of Parliament for Bexhill & Battle
Website: https://www.drkieranmullan.org.uk | Facebook: @DrKieranMullanUK | Twitter: @KieranMullanUK
Our complaint to CCHQ
We received the email containing this reply on the 17th February. During that week we were heavily engaged with briefing elected members from the Sottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd and the Northern Ireland Assembly – work we considered to be important and, whilst Dr Mullan’s comments overshadowed our efforts, we did not allow them to derail us.
This week we have time, and we have come to the conclusion that we cannot ignore this damaging comment to stand so we have submitted a formal complaint about this MP to CCHQ as follows:
25th February, 2025
CCHQ Complaints Panel
4 Matthew Parker Street
London
SW1H 9HQ
Dear Sir or Madam,
We are writing today to register a complaint about the conduct of Conservative Party MP Dr Kieran Mullan. We believe that he has breached the published Code of Conduct of the Conservative Party and are deeply concerned about his behaviour.
We were made aware of an email sent by Dr Kieran Mullan, to his constituent <redacted>, on Monday 10th February 2025, after he had been invited to our emergency parliamentary briefing about the current state of the NHS held on 22nd January 2025.
Dr Mullan’s response said inter alia:
“I don’t attend briefings or work with EveryDoctor. I find that their social media is more concerned with building their social media following and raising money to further that than genuine efforts to engage sensibly and constructively with the challenges facing the NHS.”
This is not only a grossly inaccurate description of our work, it also impugns our integrity as a campaigning organisation.
Since our organisation was founded we have campaigned tirelessly for the restoration of the NHS. In the autumn of 2024, we built a Doctors’ Manifesto for the NHS (https://everydoctor.org.uk/the-doctors-manifesto-for-the-nhs/) based on the input of over 400 NHS doctors, setting out the suggested ten key areas of focus for politicians in order to safeguard patient lives and properly support NHS staff.
We held 8 briefings for politicians between October 2024 and February 2025, 5 of which Dr Kieran Mullan was invited to join. At these briefings politicians across the party-spectrum came together to hear from frontline NHS staff about the situation in their workplaces and to find out more about the proposed solutions in our Doctor’s Manifesto for the NHS.
The emergency briefing on 22nd January, to which Dr Kieran Mullan MP refers in his email response to his constituent, involved the offices of 104 Westminster MPs and we are now working with a number of these politicians to identify areas where we can assist them in advocating for NHS patients and staff.
Over the past 6 years, EveryDoctor has held over 30 MP briefings, published ground-breaking research projects about the extent of NHS privatisation and conducted a national campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic to fight for protections for frontline workers.
(https://smk.org.uk/awards_nominations/protectnhsworkers/)
We have contributed to thousands of media pieces speaking up for NHS patients and staff.
Contrary to Dr Kieran Mullan’s derogatory comments about us, made to his constituent, we do make constant, genuine efforts to engage sensibly and constructively with the challenges facing the NHS.
EveryDoctor is a doctor-led non-profit organisation with a small employed team. It concerns us enormously that an elected representative would talk about our work in such a hostile manner, particularly during a national crisis when we have assisted many other politicians to address the issues facing the NHS.
It is especially concerning to see Dr Kieran Mullan describe our organisation to one of his constituents in this manner, in response to their request that he show an interest in the winter crisis faced by the NHS.
We believe this type of hostile behaviour from politicians, and others in positions of power, has led to the incitement of harassment and bullying online that is so prevalent today. Behaviour from elected officials has real-world consequences; and we are enormously concerned about Dr Kieran Mullan’s behaviour, which we believe breaks the Conservative Party Code of Conduct.
We note that the framework of behaviour set out in the Conservative Party Code of Conduct states that it is:
“the minimum standard of behaviour expected from anyone representing the Party as an elected or appointed official or office-holder”.
And is also…
“Required as a strict condition of their ongoing representation of the Party”.
We believe that Dr Kieran Mullan has contravened the following standards as established by Lord Nolan and the Committee on Standards in Public Life:
“3. Objectivity – Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.”
“6. Honesty – Holders of public office should be truthful.”
“7. Leadership – Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs;
- Lead by example to encourage and foster respect and tolerance;
- Treat others with civility, courtesy and respect;
- Act with honesty and probity and in a manner which upholds the reputation and values of the Conservative Party. Such duty is fundamental. Conduct which the public may reasonably perceive as undermining a representative’s honesty and probity is likely to diminish trust and confidence placed in them, and the Party, by the public;
- Not use their position to bully, abuse, victimise, harass or unlawfully discriminate against others.”
Also, within the Annex:
“Harassment is any unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive situation or environment for them. A single incident can amount to harassment.”
“Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour involving the misuse of power that can make a person feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened.”
We have not attempted to resolve things informally with Dr Kieran Mullan MP, and have not yet reported this behaviour to other appropriate authorities.
Whilst we have seen one instance of this email response, sent on the 10th February and forwarded to us on the 16th February, we are concerned the boilerplate nature of the response means it was sent to others. A screenshot of the email in question is attached as evidence.
We are able to supply 6 years’ worth of campaigning evidence to refute Dr Kieran Mullan’s broadcast comments about us, if required.
We ask that this complaint be investigated by your professional panel and the outcome reported back to us as soon as possible. Our considered view is that Dr Kieran Mullan is in breach of your published Code of Conduct and we request that he is subject to the follow-up action deemed appropriate by the panel, which we believe should include public apologies to his constituent(s) and our organisation.
In the meantime we will continue to campaign tirelessly for the NHS and are able provide further comment or evidence if required in support of our complaint.
Thank you for your consideration
Yours faithfully,
Dr Julia Patterson
Chief Executive
EveryDoctor
We will report back when we receive a reply.