I just got a distressing e-mail from my blog friend and colleague The Angry Medic. The last post on the NHS Blog Doctor's blog is on October 17th, 2007. As I scrolled down, I see 129 comments (as of this posting). The most disturbing is the following:
Hello to you all.I'm not one to spread rumors, but this comment, although sounding genuine, was very disturbing to me. Has anyone heard anything? Does anyone out there know anything? I hope this is not true. This is a true pioneer and legend in the medical blogging community. I hope this rumor is not true...
This is not an easy comment to write, and I apologise for the lack of a full post, but 'John' was more than a little security conscious when it came to passwords, I have contacted "blogger" to explain circumstances but as yet have not had a reply.
Getting to the point, so to speak, I am a senior partner at 'John's practice, I have only become aware of this 'weblog' after accessing his email account through our internal system. Other partners have read this website, but none of us knew who the author was - although in retrospect there are a number of clues we could have picked up on!
There is no easy way to say this, but the doctor known as 'John' or 'Crippen' passed away in a road traffic accident mid-October. Although I appreciate the esteem in which many of you obviously held him, I must ask that the emails cease as of now - they are all redirected to our mail server and this is causing some difficulty.
Dr. Crippen's identity may no longer need to be secret for his own purposes, but out of respect for his family and remaining colleagues I shall not be sharing this here, neither will I post another message or reply to any left. This webblog will be removed once I can circumnavigate the security protocols for obvious reasons of confidentiality.
This said, I thank all who visit here for their support of our dear, and much missed colleague.
Kind regards, Dr.P.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 11:20:00 PM
Update: People have been e-mailing me over the past 9-10 hours saying this is not true. I don't want to "out" my sources here. I really feel bad if I'm spreading an inaccurate statement. But, I guess there really is no way to confirm or not confirm this, unless someone in the UK can help clarify this. If someone wants to go "on the record," put it on your blog and I'll link to it.
Update: Someone commented on KevinMD that this report is false. The Holford Watch states "unequivocally that there is no truth to this cruel story."
10 comments:
This is horrible news Dr. A
I too sincerely hope it is not true.
Good Lord. It's not like him not to post anything in such a long while. The commenter also conveniently excluded himself from replying any further correspondence. Sounds like a hoax.
Someone please tell me it is. Dr Crippen was the reason my blog is as it is today.
I'm not part of the medical blogging community and have never read his blog, but even I thought that a bit odd. Just the tone. Let's hope it is not true. But I agree, Dr. A....this is too strange. He could have at least specified a charity to donate to or something?
If you find out something, please keep us posted.
I don't think its true, that comment could have come from anyone. Until I see concrete proof I just can't take it to be true.
Really hope it isn't
I have it on reasonably good authority that this isn't true.
I certainly hope it's not.
Oh goodness, this just made me ill reading it. It is very strange as I was just at his blog the other day and wondered what in the world happened to him and why he had not been blogging.
Personally I do believe this message. if it were not true then I believe he would be on his blog assuring us this was a hoax. he would not allow us to believe such a thing had happened unless he were not able to inform us.
I am Praying very hard it isn't so but I fear it is. He is such a good caring doc. and many of us miss him so much.
mr eugenides, if you have this on some good authority why not tell us and reassure us of it or better yet ask him to post something so we will know.
If this is a hoax, it is absolutely sick to mess with people like this . . .
Some people will do anything for their 6 seconds of fame. I truly hope this is false.
I wonder why the doctor is not responding if this is a hoax, though? It sounds like a strange situation altogether.
WTF??? I am going through my Doctor blogger section and noticed that John had not written since October, but figured he was busy.
Who would be sick enough to pull a hoax like this - I'm hoping to find out that that is all it is : (
Geeze, it makes me sick to my stomach to think about it!
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