Vital signs

Following the Shipman inquiry, the new Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, launched on 11 June, is to be welcomed. Early in his medical career Dr Harold Shipman was found to be stealing and abusing controlled drugs.

If the General Medical Council had taken appropriate action at that time, it could be argued that Dr Shipman would not have been able to go on and kill so many of his patients.

The new Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service will hopefully be more clearly focused on protecting the interests of patients rather than protecting the interest of aberrant doctors.

Neil Sinclair

Edinburgh