HSE physio accused of professional misconduct over opposition to covid vaccines and masks
Anna Marie Stack Rivas leaving a CORU fitness-to-practise inquiry at Georges Court in Dublin. Picture: Collins
A physiotherapist working with the has been accused of professional misconduct over speaking at public events against the use of masks, covid vaccines, and public health guidelines to stop the spread of the virus.
Anna Marie Stack Rivas appeared before a fitness-to-practise inquiry of CORU — the regulatory body of health and social care professionals — over a series of claims she made about the pandemic while identifying herself as a physiotherapist and healthcare worker.
They include claims that residents of nursing homes aged over 70 were “culled” and that people who allowed their children to wear face masks were causing them “permanent brain damage”.
The physiotherapist, who works for the HSE in Limerick with children with disabilities, rejects three allegations against her of professional misconduct and claims the complaint against her was “vexatious and malicious”. She also denies breaching the code of professional conduct and ethics for physiotherapists and maintains she was expressing honestly held opinions outside of her workplace.
She said she was exercising her right to freedom of expression and her views did not affect her ability or capacity to treat people.
Ms Stack Rivas, who has been a registered physiotherapist since 2018, said attempts to link her with the leader of a far-right political party were “unfounded”. She maintained that she also complied at all times with HSE protocols while at work including in relation to masks and social distancing.
However, she said she chose not to wear a mask when outdoors for health reasons and on the advice of her own doctor.
Ms Stack Rivas claimed personal animosity by a complainant was being used to defame her and threaten her livelihood.
CORU’s professional conduct committee heard the inquiry had been established following a complaint about comments made by Ms Stack Rivas at a public event outside the GPO on O’Connell Street in Dublin on June 29, 2020, and at another event at an unknown location on December 19, 2020.
She was also criticised over remarks she made during an online interview on December 27, 2020.
The inquiry heard that, at the GPO event, Ms Stack Rivas claimed covid-19 was “no more than a bad flu for some people and just a common cold for others.” During her speech, Ms Stack Rivas said it was “an absolute disgrace” that medical establishments were stating that masks worked to prevent the spread of the virus.
“It’s just absolutely ridiculous that our health and our government are pushing people to wear masks when actually it’s going to actually make them sick,” she added.
The physiotherapist claimed she was “so angry” that independent scientists were being censored and she criticised immunologists and virologists who appeared on RTÉ as “big pharma puppets” who were “speaking lies”.
At the second public event, Ms Stack Rivas claimed that there “was never a pandemic” and that hospitals were “never overwhelmed.” She also maintained that deaths in nursing homes which peaked in April 2020 were “because care was withdrawn”. In an online interview, she criticised “ill-informed colleagues” that didn’t do their own research.
She expressed anger about the consequences of vaccines on people and claimed she’d been threatened with her job.
Ms Stack Rivas claimed guidelines were being “pushed down our throat”, while the lies that were being spun were “unreal.” She also claimed that the HPV vaccine was lethal and “can actually cause cervical cancer”. Two prominent medical professionals who appeared in the media during the pandemic were branded “absolute criminals”.
The inquiry heard that the complaint against Ms Stack Rivas was made by a member of the public from Cork, Simon Noonan, who was concerned about the spread of disinformation about the pandemic.
In his letter to CORU, Mr Noonan claimed the physiotherapist had spoken on the subjects of immunology and virology for which she had no expertise as well as making comments in support of figures including Professor Dolores Cahill and Gemma O’Doherty.
Prof Cahill is an immunologist and former chairperson of the far-right Irish Freedom Party, while Ms O’Doherty is a former journalist and high-profile anti-immigration and anti-vaccine campaigner.
Mr Noonan also claimed Ms Stack Rivas was not adhering to public health guidelines.
In evidence, Mr Noonan said he had made a complaint about the physiotherapist because he was concerned that she was “spreading disinformation”.
Under cross-examination by counsel for Ms Stack Rivas, Elaine Finneran BL, he admitted that he had made “quite a few” complaints against healthcare professionals to their regulatory bodies. Mr Noonan confirmed that he does not know Ms Stack Rivas and has never been one of her patients.
Counsel for CORU, Eoghan O’Sullivan BL, reminded the inquiry that the allegations against Ms Stack Rivas related to a time when the country was adapting to the “alien concept” of curfews and lockdowns after the World Health Organization had declared a pandemic in March 2020.
Mr O’Sullivan acknowledged that people’s rights and civil liberties were affected by the Government’s efforts to protect society.
He asked the committee to recognise that various comments made by Ms Stack Rivas were made at times of “extremely important inflection points in the battle against covid-19".
Mr O’Sullivan described the physiotherapist as a “sceptic” about the virus who had expressed views that had no basis in science or fact.
However, he argued that Ms Stack Rivas had lent weight to such claims and was trying to influence others in her capacity as a healthcare worker.
A previous sitting of the inquiry last month was adjourned after its chairwoman, Susan Ahern, stepped down over a potential conflict of interest.
Ms Ahern, who is a member of the RTÉ board, recused herself from chairing the inquiry as some of Ms Stack Rivas’ comments were critical of the State broadcaster.
Following the latest hearing yesterday, the new chairwoman, Georgina Farren, adjourned the inquiry to dates to be fixed in the autumn.
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