Background to the Inquiry
Harold Fredrick Shipman was
convicted at Preston Crown Court on 31 January 2000 of the murder of 15 of his
patients while he was a General Practitioner at Market Street, Hyde, near
Manchester and of one count of forging a will. He was sentenced to life
imprisonment.
Police have also
investigated allegations that he may have murdered many more patients while he
was a GP in Hyde and Todmorden.
On 1 February 2000, the
Secretary of State for Health announced that an independent private inquiry
would take place to establish what changes to current systems should be made in
order to safeguard patients in the future. Although it would be held in private
its report would be made public. The private inquiry, under the chairmanship of
Lord Laming of Tewin, began work on 10 March and was charged with reporting its
findings and recommendations to the Secretary of State for Health and the Home
Secretary by September 2000.
Many of the families and
sections of the British media sought a Judicial Review in the High Court, which
found in their favour and recommended that the Secretary of State for Health
reconsider his decision that the Inquiry should be held in private.
In September 2000, the
Secretary of State for Health announced that the Inquiry would be held in public
under the terms of the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921. Both Houses of
Parliament ratified this decision in January 2001.
Dame Janet Smith DBE, a High
Court judge, was appointed Chairman of The Shipman Inquiry and the work of the
independent public inquiry began in February 2001. The public hearings into Phase 1 began on 20 June 2001. The public hearings into Phase 2 began on 7 May 2002.
The Inquiry's First Report was published on 19 July 2002 and its Final Report on 27 January 2005.