"This has been a horrific experience.”
TV doctor Ranj Singh has revealed he now suffers from anxiety as a result of the “horrific and abhorrent” torment he endured from Dr David Cartland, a GP struck off for relentless online trolling.
He faced a barrage of abuse after supporting the Covid-19 vaccine.
Cartland called him a “paedophile sympathiser” and “scum” in a string of posts across social media platforms, including X, Instagram, Gettr, and Telegram.
Dr Ranj sued Cartland for defamation in 2024 and reported him to the General Medical Council (GMC).
At a disciplinary hearing, the medic said: “The impact on me was extremely upsetting and damaging.
“I now suffer from anxiety and am seeing a therapist due to the abhorrent things Dr Cartland said about me.
“My reputation is everything. This has been a horrific experience.”
Cartland defended his actions by describing X as “a unique social media arena on which there is rigorous debate and discussion”, but admitted: “I have reacted unwisely online.”
The GP was found to have harassed three doctors and a practice manager between 2022 and 2025. He was struck off over fears he “would behave in a similar way in future”.
Among the abuse, Cartland criticised Dr Ranj for befriending a young TV runner who had an affair with ex-This Morning host Phillip Schofield.
Cartland posted: “Is it ok for a paediatrician to boast about their [XXX] publicly…? To wear a T-shirt stating never apologise for who you love (no exceptions).
“Anyone think a kids Dr calling for help and support for paedophiles is ok? Anyone think calling a groom victim a stud is ok whatever their age is ok? Anyone think that calling someone a dirty filthy sl*t or a Nancy boy is ok?”
Despite settling the defamation case, Cartland continued posting malicious messages, calling Dr Ranj a “lying b*****d” and accusing him of “playing the victim”.
Dr Ranj Singh told the hearing he was “bombarded with an onslaught of tweets that were aggressive and generally negative” as a result of being tagged or mentioned in Cartland’s posts or by his followers.
He described being prescribed therapy to manage the anxiety caused by the homophobic and defamatory attacks, some of which took his quotes out of context.
When Dr Ranj complained to the GMC, Cartland accused him of “snitching to the headmaster” and making “ridiculous unsubstantiated claims”.
The TV star, who has since deactivated his X account and is pursuing another civil claim, said:
“I feel Dr Cartland is doing this in order to harass and defame me, to build a negative sentiment about me amongst his followers and the general public and to encourage others to continue to harass, and also to try to intimidate me.”
He acknowledged X was “not a very pleasant place” but insisted healthcare professionals must “behave responsibly and abide by the codes of conduct of social media platforms and legislation”.
Dr Ranj Singh said Cartland “knowingly enticed others” to attack him and was “trying to bait his followers into reacting” to posts about him.
The tribunal heard Dr Ranj had never met Cartland but became aware of his hostile behaviour in January 2023.
Despite blocking him, Dr Ranj was still exposed to abuse when others responded to Cartland’s posts or tagged him.
Cartland admitted to “reacting unwisely online” and apologised “to all people that have been distressed, harmed or offended by my words and actions in particular each of the complainants”.
He said he was also subject to “many hundreds of trolls being personal, aggressive and trying anything to goad a reaction”, which led to retaliations he described as “not wholly becoming of a practising GP”.
Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service chairperson Mrs Claire Lindley ruled that Cartland’s “persistent, threatening and abusive harassment” showed a “blatant disregard for good medical practice”.
The tribunal suspended Cartland immediately, citing his “marked lack of insight and remediation” and concern that he would repeat his behaviour.
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