The Crime & Investigation network presents the story of Harold Shipman, known as “Doctor Death,” in the latest episode of Murder By Medic. Airing on Friday, 30 August 2024, at 8:00 pm, the documentary looks into the dark history of one of modern history’s most prolific serial killers.
Harold Shipman, a British doctor, was convicted of murdering fifteen patients under his care, but it is believed the true number could be as high as 250. The episode explores Shipman’s difficult personality and his history of disciplinary issues, including forging prescriptions for drugs. The full extent of his crimes was only revealed after his dismissal from practice in 1998, when investigations uncovered lethal opioid administrations and falsified medical records.
The programme chronicles Shipman’s path from a doctor to a murderer, detailing how he administered lethal doses of the opioid diamorphine to his patients and manipulated their medical records. On 31 January 2000, he was found guilty of multiple murder and forgery and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, he took his own life in his cell on 13 January 2004, aged 57.
The aftermath of Shipman’s crimes had a significant impact on the UK medical system, leading to the establishment of the General Medical Council’s Fitness to Practise Directorate and the introduction of new guidelines on controlled drugs.
Murder By Medic: Harold Shipman airs on Crime & Investigation on Friday, 30 August 2024, at 8:00 pm.
