The Guild have axed the Medics society

LMSS has been dropped due to a ‘number of negative reports’

liverpool medics LMSS medics script

The Liverpool Medical School Society have officially been cut as a university society today.

This decision comes after a series of complaints as well as LMSS Officers failing to co-operate with Guild recommendations.

The society was under investigation after the medics script filled with misogynistic rape jokes was leaked on Twitter 14 months ago.

According to the LMSS website the society was founded over 130 years ago and pre-dates the University itself.

An email was sent out to all medical students this morning from the Vice Chancellor, Professor Janet Beer and Chair of Guild Trustee Board and Guild President Harry Anderson confirming the society had been de-ratified.

The email outlines the reasons behind the decision and states LMSS will not be able to use Guild facilities from 1 February 2016.

It says: “Activities that perpetuate attitudes that are no longer seen as acceptable in the modern medical profession.”

“The report from the investigation contained a number of recommendations and the LMSS Officers were asked to draw up an action plan, in cooperation with the Guild of Students, to address those recommendations.

“Unfortunately, a full and completed action plan has not been forthcoming and the LMSS Officers refused to engage with the Chair of the investigation panel.

“With regret, the Guild Trustees have therefore decided to de-ratify LMSS as a Guild Society.

“This means that Guild facilities and services will not be available for use for LMSS activities with effect from 1 February 2016.”

The email goes onto highlight the importance of future employability.

It reads: “Your future employability is a vital part of your University education, so it is important that the University does not condone activities which might perpetuate some of the attitudes which are no longer seen as acceptable in the modern medical profession.”

A University and Guild spokesperson said: “The Liverpool Medical Students’ Society (LMSS) will not be able to use Guild or University facilities and services with effect from 1 February 2016.

“LMSS will not be allowed to promote itself through any University or Guild channels.”

Harry Anderson, the Guild President highlighted LMSS did not meet several agreements made by the Guild and University in a bid to rectify the society.

In a statement Harry said: “The decision to de-ratify LMSS as a Guild Society is not one we have taken lightly.

“Over the last year, we have been working with the LMSS following the Smoker event in 2014, after which the Guild and the University launched a joint investigation into the society.

The Guild attempted to rectify LMSS but LMSS Officers failed to co-operate

“This investigation resulted in an action plan, the recommendations of which were agreed with the LMSS Officers. Despite our best efforts, at the start of this academic year there were still significant parts of the action plan that were not being met.

“This included the LMSS continuing to hold events that were not open to everyone in the society. Given how serious the lack of progress was, it was felt that the society could no longer be part of the Guild. 

“We will be working with the School of Medicine and its students in helping to create a new society that is open and inclusive to all students.”

Lots of people have voiced their opinions on the University’s formal decision to withdraw LMSS as a university recognised society today.

Thomas Powell, who claims to be a medic at Liverpool uni,  criticised the decision on Twitter and wrote a tweet directed towards the Guild President Harry Anderson.

Thomas said: “You (Harry Anderson) should be ashamed of yourself for it to get this far. You serve us, not the other way around. LMSS will survive.”

Medic student Sasha (not her real name) thinks the Guild decision is spot on in light of recent events such as the ladies and gents dinner.

Sasha told The Tab: “The Guild holds itself to standards of equality and promotes a certain set of values.

“I think the LMSS being disowned from the Guild after repeated offence on the LMSS side, despite the multiple chances they had been given, is fair enough.

“In particular things such as the change in name for the ‘Ladies’ and ‘Gents’ dinner which were meant to be changed, but instead they didn’t they just renamed it ‘XX’ and ‘XY’ in reference to the cis-gender chromosome. Furthermore the LMSS has hosted a lot of negativity towards the Guild due to their practices encouraging students to hate the Guild basically.

“I think the decision is totally fair even though I also will be affected – as a medical student I do go to some of the revision sessions which the LMSS put on. The restriction on facilities is something that was coming from last autumn due to the Smoker incident.”

It has been noted that medics have been told not to contact the press. If you would like to comment on the University’s decision and remain anonymous please get in touch: [email protected]