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Serial Murders by Healthcare Professionals: The Case of Harold Shipman, Summaries of History

The case of Harold Shipman, a healthcare professional who murdered over 200 patients between 1974 and 1998. common themes in cases of serial murder by healthcare professionals, including childhood background, medical career, and the use of controlled drugs. It also examines Shipman's modus operandi and the impact of his crimes on current practices.

What you will learn

  • What were some common themes in cases of serial murder by healthcare professionals?
  • How did Harold Shipman's childhood and medical career contribute to his crimes?
  • How did Shipman's crimes impact the use of controlled drugs in healthcare?
  • What was Shipman's modus operandi in his murders?
  • What measures can be taken to prevent another Shipman from occurring?

Typology: Summaries

2021/2022

Uploaded on 09/12/2022

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CONTROLLED DRUGS AND HAROLD SHIPMAN WHAT HE
DID, WHY HE DID IT, AND IMPACT ON PRACTICE TODAY
Dr Jerry Seymour
Consultant / Honorary Senior Lecturer in Old Age Psychiatry,
Rotherham
Associate Postgraduate Dean, Yorkshire and Humber Deanery
28 June 2012
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CONTROLLED DRUGS AND HAROLD SHIPMAN – WHAT HE

DID, WHY HE DID IT, AND IMPACT ON PRACTICE TODAY

Dr Jerry Seymour

Consultant / Honorary Senior Lecturer in Old Age Psychiatry,

Rotherham Associate Postgraduate Dean, Yorkshire and Humber Deanery 28 June 2012

MURDER BY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

LEEDS

Colin Norris – convicted of 4 murders 2008

HYDE Harold Shipman – convicted of 15 murders 2001

STOCKPORT 2011/

WORKSOP

Beverly Allitt – convicted of 4 murders 1993

MURDER BY HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

COMMON THEMES:-

  1. Nurses and males disproportionately represented
  2. Climate of disbelief
  3. Lax selection procedures
  4. Several murders before stopped

Harold “Fred” Shipman murdered 218 (? 263) of his patients over a 27

year period, starting as a medical house officer. They died by i.v.

injection of strong analgesics/ diamorphine. The mean age of his

established victims was 75; most were healthy at the time of death; 80%

were women.

Why did he do it?

How did he get away with it?

OTHER INTERESTING QUESTIONS

  • Was he mentally ill?
  • How has he effected trust in relationships with patients?
  • Was the governmental / managerial response proportionate?
  • Could it happen again?
  • How has Shipman affected attitudes towards opiate prescribing?

IN PRAISE OF THE SINGLE CASE STUDY

Versus E.B.M. / meta-analyses.

Tradition in Psychiatric enquiry.

Educational not salacious.

SHIPMAN INQUIRY

2001 2005. Dame Janet Smith

6 Reports

1 st^ Analysis of deaths

2 nd^ The Police inquiry 1996-

3 rd^ Death Certification / Coroners

4 th^ Controlled Drugs

5 th^ GMC : Revalidation

6 th^ Pontefract Deaths (Sandra Whitehead)

SHIPMAN‟S LIFE AND CRIMES

FAMILY HISTORY

FATHER - HAROLD MOTHER - VERA

(+1985, age 70) (+1963, Ca Lung, age 43)

Pauline age 73 Clive age 60

HAROLD 1967 PRIMROSE age 61

(+ 2004, age 59)

Sarah Christopher David Sam

age 46 age 41 age 33 age 30

No family history of mental disorder.

MEDICAL CAREER

1964 3 A-levels (retakes)

1965 1970 Leeds Medical School MBChB

1970 1974 Pontefract GI

6/12 HS 6/12 HP 3 unlawful killings 6/12 Paediatrics SHO 3 significant suspicion 6/12 Medicine SHO 18 some suspicion 3/12 Paediatrics Registrar 6/12 O&G SHO

1974 1975 General Practice, Todmorden 1 unlawful killing

8 suspicious deaths (3 in 1 day)

FORENSIC HISTORY

November 1975 Todmorden partners called Police re Pethidine misuse. Interviewed by Police in The Retreat re drug abuse, admitted using 600- 700 mg/day for 18 months. “Started taking it when depressed as not getting on with other partners in the practice”. Up to 14 injections/day (already killed 4/31). 30,000mg ordered for “practice use”.

February 1976 Halifax Magistrates Court charged with 8 offences: 3 obtaining controlled drugs by deception 3 unlawful possession controlled drugs 2 forging declarations of exemptions for prescription charges

Pleaded guilty and asked for 74 more offences to be taken into consideration. Fined £657.78 + ordered to pay £58.78 compensation to NHS (allowed to pay £50/month).

GMC : Caution; agreed not to work in General Practice again.

FORENSIC HISTORY (cont‟d….)

January 2000 Preston Crown Court 15 life sentences for murder and 4 years for forgery of Emily Grundy Will.

MODUS OPERANDI

Central to any Police investigation of serial killing.

First murder held to be highly significant psychologically.

MODUS OPERANDI – PATTERN OF MURDERS IN

PONTEFRACT

Shipman signed 76 death certificates in his 6 months as Medical SHO 47% of these 6pm midnight

Recorded himself as present at death on 33% of cremation forms (average 1.6%)

Dame Janet Smith sixth report :

“I think he might well have killed patients in the late evening in order to avoid being called out in the middle of the night… patients who would soon die but were occupying beds urgently needed… he might well have killed because he was annoyed with a patient or regarded him/her as in some way „unworthy‟.”