Richard Freeman (physician)

[4] The General Medical Council (GMC) alleged that, in May 2011, Freeman ordered 30 Testogel (testosterone) sachets from Fit4Sports Limited to the National Cycling Centre, Manchester.

[12] The employee who sent the false email claims that "she trusted Dr Freeman because he is a doctor" and also that the 30 Testogel sachets were never returned to the company.

Freeman also said that he secretly took the 30 sachets of Testogel home on the day it was delivered to the National Cycling Centre and washed them down the sink[21] and claimed that he complained to senior management about alleged misuse of resources by Sutton, including an allegation he spent £6,000 of British Cycling money on personal cosmetic dentistry.

[22] He also alleged that ex-medical director Steve Peters had asked him to treat senior management and staff as well as riders free of charge.

Peters denied Freeman's claim that he "gave the green light to unregulated medicine, out of British Cycling supplies, to be given to senior management and selected staff".

[22] On 14 October, Freeman admitted to losing medical information from a third computer after the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) requested blood data from riders after the 2011 Giro d'Italia and the 2011 Tour de France.

[25] During its summation on 22 January, the GMC contended that Freeman had worked with athletes who had previously doped when buying testosterone to boost the performance of an unnamed rider.

[27] On 12 March, the tribunal found Freeman guilty of ordering banned testosterone "knowing or believing" it was to help dope a rider.

[2] On 17 March, the tribunal moved into its second phase which considered Freeman's fitness to practise medicine in light of its verdict.

[30] Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service chair Neil Dalton said that the tribunal's determination was "that erasure is the only sufficient sanction which would protect patients, maintain public confidence in the profession and send a clear message to Dr Freeman, the profession and the public that his misconduct constituted behaviour unbefitting and incompatible with that of a registered doctor.

[32] In April 2021, Richard Freeman lodged an appeal at the High Court in Manchester to contest the verdict of the tribunal.

[34] In January 2023, the High Court rejected Freeman's appeal - stating there was "nothing wrong" with the tribunal's process or conclusion.