Shipman inquiry calls for major changes in death certification

doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7370.919

BMJ 2002;325:919 ( 26 October )

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Shipman inquiry calls for major changes in death certification

Clare Dyer, legal correspondent, BMJ
The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Sweeping changes are needed to plug loopholes in the systems of death and cremation certification that allowed the EnglishGP Harold Shipman to murder more than 200 patients, the Shipmaninquiry says in a discussion paper thisweek.

Shipman, from Hyde, Greater Manchester, who became Britain's most prolific serial killer, killed 215 patients, according tothe inquiry's findings. Many of the victims, mainly middle agedand elderly women, died unexpectedly, without any history of terminalor life threateningillness.

Shipman avoided referrals to the coroner by claiming that he was in a position to certify the cause of death and by persuadingrelatives that no postmortem examination wasnecessary.

"In order to afford the public a proper degree of protection," the inquiry concludes, "measures must be devised to ensurethat all unexpected deaths are reported and their cause properlyinvestigated."

The inquiry, chaired by High Court judge Dame Janet Smith, is asking . . . [Full text of this article]

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