The high price of justice: Was the Shipman Inquiry worth it?
In short: Lady Justice Janet Smith reflects on the massive scale of the inquiry into Harold Shipman, a doctor who killed hundreds of patients. She provides a frank assessment of the investigation's ultimate impact and the frustrations of seeking systemic change.
The inquiry into Harold Shipman, who killed between 218 and 280 people under his care, was a monumental undertaking. Lasting nearly four years, the investigation examined 1,000 cases and cost approximately £21 million. In this lecture, Smith addresses the central question of whether such a massive expenditure of public resources achieved its intended goals.
Smith highlights a specific point of frustration regarding the inquiry's fourth part, which focused on the control of drug possession by GPs. Despite the careful attention paid to the recommendations produced by Lord Warner, Smith notes they were effectively ignored by the government, leading her to lament the inquiry's perceived uselessness in that specific area.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Shipman Inquiry: Was it worth it? [Part 5] by Lady Justice Janet Smith
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