GSK Cambridge former medical director cleared by tribunal

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) heard a case against Dr Sharareh Brealey, Medical Director at the GSK Clinical Unit in Cambridge, following complaints from several colleagues alleging bullying and abuse of her position between 2021 and 2024.

After a multi-stage hearing running from December 2025 to March 2026, the tribunal concluded that the “facts relevant to impairment” were not found proved and that consideration of impairment did not need to be reached, bringing the case to an end.

In its public determination on the facts, handed down on March 24 2026, the tribunal stated that a series of allegations were either deleted following a no‑case‑to‑answer application or could not be supported by the evidence presented.

The tribunal heard that the General Medical Council investigation followed a joint letter from six doctors raising concerns about Dr Brealey’s conduct in the workplace.

However, Dr Brealey’s legal representative, Ms Tara O’Halloran, successfully argued that many of the complaints were poorly particularised, lacked dates or documentation, and often amounted to subjective descriptions rather than specific instances of bullying or abuse of position.

The determination records submissions highlighting an “evidential vacuum”, including repeated absence of contemporaneous emails, notes or formal complaints to support the claims, and notes that some witnesses retreated from their written allegations during oral evidence.

Alongside this, the tribunal heard positive testimony from colleagues who described Dr Brealey as “the best medical director” they had worked with, praising her leadership and contribution to patient safety and clinical standards at the unit.

Evidence was also given that, in her role as medical director, Dr Brealey had been working to improve the Clinical Unit’s performance, including tightening governance processes, strengthening clinical oversight of trials, and challenging colleagues where she believed standards or analytical approaches needed to be raised.

The tribunal accepted that many of the actions complained of were consistent with legitimate management and efforts to drive improvement in the unit, rather than misconduct.

Dr Brealey qualified as a doctor in 1994, initially working in NHS general practice before moving into clinical trials and regulatory roles.

She joined the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a medical assessor in 2005, later returning to GSK and progressing to executive director and medical director at the Clinical Unit Cambridge.

The tribunal made clear that its overarching objective was to protect the public and maintain confidence in the profession, but ultimately found that the threshold for proving misconduct had not been met in this case.

With the facts stage concluding that the key allegations were not proved, no further action was taken on Dr Brealey’s registration.