Police to review case of GP who helped patients to end their lives
Police are reviewing the case of a retired Scottish doctor who has spoken openly for the first time about how he helped a number of patients to end their lives.
In an interview with the Herald Newspaper, Dr Iain Kerr (66) admitted to prescribing sleeping pills to an elderly couple who said that they wanted to committ suicide together.
He also admitted to advising a patient on how many anti-depressants he would need to take to end his life, and visited the patient at his home while the drugs took effect.
Overdose
"He took the overdose and I went in to see him”, Dr Kerr said.
"He was still alive and I phoned his sister to tell her what had happened, and to say I was not planning to send him to hospital, and she was okay with that."
The medic claimed that on each occasion "a fair amount of discussion" had taken place, and that he had acted in the “best interests of the patient”.
He said that once the medication was prescribed the "option" to take a fatal overdose was left in the hands of the patient and their family.
Suspended
In 2008, Dr Kerr was suspended from practising medicine for six months after he provided a businesswoman with sodium amytal "solely for the purpose of ending her life".
The GMC found Dr Kerr guilty of misconduct saying his actions were "inappropriate, irresponsible, liable to bring the profession into disrepute not in your patient's best interests”.
Whilst all cases were referred to prosecutors, it was decided that it was not in the public interest to take action against him.
Dr Kerr, who retired two years ago, said: "The cases were all reported to the procurator fiscal and eact time the fiscal decided to take no action because it was not in the public interest for a prosecution to take place."
New evidence
But police have been instructed by the Crown Office to make inquiries into whether there is any new evidence available.
A Crown Office spokesman said: "Dr Kerr was investigated in the past in respect of his involvement in a number of deaths.
"After consideration of the available evidence no proceedings meantime were instructed.
"We have instructed the police to make enquiries into whether there is any new evidence available, which will be considered by Crown Counsel."
Comment
Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern said: “The practice of assisted suicide is illegal in Britain and punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment.
“It is crucial for such cases to lead to prosecution to deter medical practitioners from abusing their position of trust, and to ensure that the most vulnerable in society are protected from exploitation."
Sources:
