The shipman case illustrated to a terrifying degree failings in the healthcare system and policing. Without a doubt, Shipman’s final three victims could have been saved by an efficient police investigation into the other patients’ deaths.
There are broader problems that should be noted as well. By issuing certificates stating natural causes, Shipman was able to avoid detection or investigation by coroners. He was able to stockpile morphine easily. The GMC had been too focused on protecting doctors, rather than caring for patients – which is its primary task.
In light of the Shipman case, changes were advised to the Coronial service and death certification, as well as making it easier for families to report concerns about medical care to the coroner.
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One must bear in mind that serial killing by a doctor is incredibly rare – if it happens again, it seems logical that whoever commits the crimes will seek to evade any new monitoring system put in place. This has been used as an argument to avoid constructing a process to detect doctors whose practice (or patients’ outcomes) significantly moves from the norm. However, it must be ensured that nothing like this can happen again – therefore increased monitoring, more complex death certification, and greater answerability to families and coroners are a small price to pay to avoid murder on such a scale.