shipman

Under the new system, partially introduced in response to the deaths caused by serial killer doctor Harold Shipman, all deaths not investigated by a coroner must be reviewed independently by a medical examiner before a death certificate can be issued.

Luke Shipman never remembered the nights he was screaming in terror after a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Under the new system, which was brought about partly in response to Harold Shipman's murders, GPs no longer issue death certificates independently.

Twenty five years after GP Harold Shipman became the UK's most prolific serial killer, residents of the town where he worked have told how his crimes will always leave their mark.

She said her mother Margaret Beckwith, who was then aged 64, had an appointment with Shipman at his practice, The Surgery on Market Street.