'Depressed' GP killed herself

Dr Dawn Harris was a perfectionist, says her husband

A family doctor killed herself because she was depressed at not doing enough to heal people, her husband has said.

Dr Dawn Harris, 38, was found hanged at her home in Holcombe Brook, Bury, Greater Manchester, on Saturday by her husband, Michael Churchill.

Greater Manchester Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Mr Churchill, 38, said his wife was a "perfectionist" who was depressed due to the stress of her job.

She worked at Lever Chambers medical practice in Bolton.

Mr Churchill said: "She had become depressed because of the stress of the job she longed to do but also because she couldn't do more to help heal people.

She will be greatly missed by everyone at the surgery Spokesman for Lever Chambers medical centre, Bolton

"Dawn judged everything she did too highly. She cared for everyone and loved her job," he told the Bury Times.

Dr Harris read medicine for three years at St Andrew's University in Scotland before moving to Manchester University where she completed her degree.

She worked in the Bury area before moving to her Bolton job in 1996.

A spokesman for the practice said: "We are all shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss.

"Dr Harris was an extremely capable and dedicated family doctor, popular with colleagues and patients.

"She will be greatly missed by everyone at the surgery."

The British Medical Association said many GPs were stressed in their jobs.

Dr Hamish Meldrum of its GPs committee said: "Nobody knows what drives somebody to do this sort of act.

"But there is no doubt that GPs, and we have done several surveys, are facing almost unbearable stress in some ways.

"Part of the impetus to negotiate a new contract was to look at the workload pressures many of them are under."

GPs voted in favour of a new NHS contract in June.