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Harold Shipman's clinical practice 1974-1998: a clinical audit commissioned by the Chief Medical Officer

In January 2000 Dr. Harold Shipman, a Greater Manchester GP, was found guilty of murdering 15 of his patients. This review examines Shipman's career in general practice from his first appointment in 1974 to his arrest in 1998. It describes how an audit of death certificates, patient records and cremation forms completed by Shipman was conducted in order to investigate patterns of death and the prescription of restricted drugs among his patients. The methodology and findings are presented in detail. The review shows how deaths among Shipman's patients displayed a number of unusual characteristics with regard to time and place of death. There was a relatively high proportion of deaths among older women, record keeping was poor and the auditing of controlled drugs was inadequate. The review makes several recommendations for the prevention of similar cases in the future. Further information on documentation, prescribing patterns and the medical history of Shipman's patients is included in the appendices. Cites 29 references.