'Suicide' GP guilty of misconduct

The GMC had branded Dr Iain Kerr's actions "irresponsible"

A Glasgow GP who prescribed sleeping pills to a suicidal patient has been found guilty of misconduct by the General Medical Council.

The GMC's Fitness to Practise Panel criticised Dr Iain Kerr's treatment of the woman, who took her life in 2005.

It also found that his fitness to practise was impaired.

The panel will hear more submissions before deciding whether Dr Kerr, 61, from Williamwood Medical Centre in Clarkston, should be struck off.

During the hearing in Manchester, the panel heard that Dr Kerr supplied sodium amytal to the elderly woman, known as Patient A, in 1998.

It was alleged that this was after she had expressed unhappiness with her quality of life and said she had considered suicide.

He also prescribed temazepam to the woman on 1 December 2005 despite a suspected failed suicide attempt two days before.

'Professional disrepute'

The woman was found dead at her home 11 days later. She had suffered an overdose of different drugs including temazepam.

On Tuesday, the GMC panel ruled that Dr Kerr's decision to prescribe sleeping tablets to Patient A was "inappropriate and irresponsible".

It said this was "likely to bring the profession into disrepute" and not in the patient's best interest.

Dr Kerr was also branded irresponsible for not referring Patient A to hospital after she initially overdosed on temazepam tablets in 2005.

But the panel found he had not prescribed sleeping pills to the woman after she told him she was unhappy with her quality of life.

It also found he had not failed to take adequate measures to dissuade her from suicide.

The hearing continues.