A doctor who smashed 16 petrol pumps during a Just Stop Oil protest in 2022 has had his medical license suspended for an additional ten months. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) found that Dr. Patrick Hart showed "no remorse" for his actions and demonstrated "contempt both for certain laws and the Tribunal process."
Dr. Hart, a general practitioner at Bridge View Medical Practice in South Bristol, used a hammer and chisel to damage the Esso petrol pumps at a service station on the M25 in August 2022. The incident led to the closure of the forecourt and rendered three-quarters of the pumps inoperable for 24 hours. He was convicted of criminal damage valued at £11,000 and was jailed for a year. The judge deemed the offenses deliberate and committed while Dr. Hart was on bail for a prior protest.
This latest suspension follows a previous ten-month suspension handed down in May 2025. The tribunal heard that Dr. Hart refused to express remorse, stating he had "no regrets" and had acted with integrity. He likened his actions to those of the Suffragettes, arguing that they also broke laws to effect change and are now celebrated.
Dr. Hart had previously participated in other climate-related protests. In April 2022, he climbed onto pipework at a fuel storage and transportation station, an action for which he was fined £500. In May 2023, he invaded the pitch during the Premiership Rugby Final at Twickenham and threw orange cornflour, though he was later found not guilty of criminal damage to the pitch.
Dr. Hart self-referred to the General Medical Council in September 2023. During the tribunal, he indicated he would not participate further in activism that risked arrest, citing "draconian" British laws and a desire to avoid spending his life in prison. He also stated he lacked access to resources to maintain his professional skills outside of personal reading and had no interest in providing evidence to a tribunal he believed would find him impaired due to his lack of insight.
The tribunal acknowledged that Dr. Hart's views on climate change were sincere and deeply held. However, they found he showed no insight into the negative impact of his misconduct on public confidence or the medical profession. He maintained his belief that he had done nothing wrong and was at an impasse with his regulator. The panel noted his indication that he wished to use the public forum of the hearing to express his views on the climate crisis, which reinforced their finding of contempt for the law and the tribunal process in some circumstances. Despite these findings, the tribunal determined that erasure from the medical register would be disproportionate at this stage.