Dear Dr Miles
I ought to first of all advise you that I am a lawyer with an associated
practice in St Helens that is very prominent in criminal work (J Keith
Park & Co). I say this as it may well be that my colleagues have today
been instructed in this very case, if, as I assume, it is last night's
Anfield vicarage murder (St Helens suspect arrested after 'tip off').
You may, therefore, prefer to terminate this specific enquiry on public
mail, although others online could pick up this highly important issue
on a general basis.
I do not know what information it is that you wish to impart, but
clearly it would be a dangerous practice. My concern would be that
incorrect information, eg a psychiatrist's incorrect assessment of a
violent and unbalanced mental state, entered for purely health
diagnostic reasons, could be misused as evidence to convict an otherwise
innocent man.
If you believe you have something of importance in identifying guilt,
then you perhaps ought to indicate that fact alone, without saying what
it is, to the police, to the suspect/his solicitors, to any other doctor
whose opinion is contained in those records and then leave it to the
lawyers and the police to sort out by perhaps some court order.
But I do sympathise with any doctor found in this predicament.The
principle of confidentiality however should not be set aside in reaction
to the horror of the murder.
Graham Ross
Graham Ross
Dr Laurence Miles wrote:
>
> What do GP-UKers think is the "right answer to this?
>
> You hear on the radio that an ex-patient of yours is wanted and on the
> run for murder. You know that you have very detailed computer records on
> him, up to the time that he left your list, which might be of assistance
> to the police.
>
> Do you ring the police and tell them his confidential past history?
>
> I'll post my answer in a day or two....
>
> Dr Laurence Miles
>
> GP, St Helens
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