A group of prominent UK doctors has issued a stark warning: the medical assessments of former President Donald Trump are an elaborate PR exercise, not a genuine health evaluation. In a letter to the Lancet, 12 physicians from leading British hospitals called for an independent, transparent audit of any future presidential medical reports, citing “a pattern of opaque, politically motivated health disclosures.”
The doctors’ intervention follows Trump’s latest public appearance at a New York rally, where he appeared to stumble over words and grip the lectern unusually tightly. While his campaign attributed this to a “minor ankle sprain,” the letter’s lead author, Dr. Eleanor Shaw of Guy’s Hospital, said: “We are witnessing a systematic erosion of medical accountability. The American people deserve to know if their commander-in-chief is fit for office, not a carefully curated narrative.”
Sources inside the medical community confirm that Trump’s personal physician, Dr. Bruce Marshall, has refused to release raw data from the former president’s annual checkups, including cognitive test results and cardiac stress test outcomes. Instead, the White House has issued summary letters with broad generalities such as “excellent health” and “high energy.”
“This is deeply troubling,” said Dr. Shaw. “In the UK, we have robust protocols for assessing the mental and physical fitness of public officials. The US should adopt similar standards. Without independent verification, these health checks are little more than propaganda.”
The letter points to Trump’s 2024 physical, which was conducted at Walter Reed Medical Center but whose full results were never made public. A 2023 report from the nonpartisan Physicians for Presidential Accountability found that Trump’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels had been redacted from his official medical summary. The report concluded that the omissions “suggest an attempt to hide potential health risks.”
Critics have long accused Trump of using health disclosures as political theatre. In 2018, his then-physician Dr. Ronny Jackson claimed Trump was in “astonishingly excellent health” and would be the healthiest president ever elected. Jackson later faced allegations of drunken behaviour and providing Ambien to White House staff, which he denied. He lost a bid for Congress but was recently nominated by Trump for a senior Veterans Affairs position.
“The pattern is clear,” said Dr. Shaw. “Every time a health question arises, a friendly doctor emerges with a glowing report. This is not medicine. It is damage control.”
The UK doctors are not alone. A 2023 petition signed by 2,000 physicians urged Congress to mandate an independent medical board for all presidential candidates. That bill stalled in committee.
As Trump’s 2024 campaign intensifies, the calls for transparency grow louder. “If the former president has nothing to hide, he should release his complete medical records,” said Dr. James Whitfield, a cardiologist at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. “If he is healthy, that will only help him. If he is not, the American people have a right to know before they vote.”
Trump’s spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. The White House declined to address the Lancet letter, referring inquiries to Trump’s campaign. The campaign stated that “President Trump is in excellent health and has more stamina than any of his opponents.”
But for the UK doctors, that is no longer enough. “We cannot rely on the say-so of campaign allies,” said Dr. Shaw. “The presidency is too important. It demands independent scrutiny.”
