The hearing, at Surrey Coroner’s Court, was told the chartered accountant had consulted an online GP and, between 2019 and 2021, was prescribed a ‘significant amount’ of anti-anxiety drug propranolol without the knowledge of his family doctor.
Senior Coroner Richard Travers also heard that, in 2016 Mr Pattison had alleged to police that his wife had assaulted him. However, no consideration was given as to whether this was evidence of domestic or coercive controlling behaviour towards her, nor was the incident brought to the attention of the Licensing Officer when Mr Pattison applied for his shotgun certificate to be renewed.
He complains of assault, and the assumption the police should take is that he's at fault of something else? Do we need a 'I Believe Him' movement?
Mr Travers has now issued two prevention of future deaths notices to Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and to Graham Wareham, chief executive of Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, saying there is ‘a risk other deaths will continue to exist in the future unless action is taken.’
Pretty specific cirumstances, though. They only apply to licensed shotgun holders.
The coroner identified three concerns.
Oh, go on then...
Firstly that ‘an applicant for a shotgun certificate was able to obtain medication from an on-line doctor without the knowledge of their GP,’ meaning a licensing authority ‘might’ grant a shotgun certificate to an applicant who has a relevant previous medical history about which they were unaware.
What do you suggest, Dickie boy, a full audit of someone's online history before granting a license? A bit unnessessarily intrusive, don't you think?
Secondly, by consulting an on-line doctor, ‘it is possible for an applicant for a shotgun certificate to avoid the current safeguards relating to full disclosure of their previous and current medical history, and thirdly, Mr Travers said, ‘consideration should be given as to how a licensing authority can obtain full and accurate disclosure of an applicant’s history of coercive controlling behaviour towards others.’
Oh, and the police to conduct themselves so as to treat alleged victims as alleged perpetrators, but only if they are dealing with a man. Well, can't see that opening a can of worms.
5 comments:
Where was this online GP? I was under the impression that the NHS affiliated GPs in the UK (or at least England) had a monopoly on the issuance of prescriptions.
Is an online doctor who can prescribe medication not a GP? And would his medical records not be updated according by such a person? Giving the police full access (as they do now) to his complete medical history anyway?
(If you can set up as an online doctor and give our prescriptions without qualifications, I'm in the wrong job)
And I'm as astounded as you that he gets suspected of a crime just for reporting his wife for one. Try that in reverse, just once. I dare yas
I'd guess the GP was abroad.
If you have a shotgun cert and go to your GP for any mental help he will inform the Stasi and your cert is withdrawn forever. So if you are upset about your child dying for example and go to your GP for some temporary meds say good bye to your shotgun cert. Even if you are OK a few months later.
So what would have been a temporary issue becomes a longer term one as you don't go for treatment with your GP.
At the heart of this coroner's "findings", is nothing more than the usual anti-gun rhetoric; the demand that we need to make our already strict gun laws even stricter, because if a gun wasn't available this terrible thing would never have occured. As if knives, bathtubs and pillows don't exist.
"I was under the impression that the NHS affiliated GPs in the UK (or at least England) had a monopoly on the issuance of prescriptions."
Me too. So if that's not the case, I'd argue that's far more of a risk ...
"If you can set up as an online doctor and give our prescriptions without qualifications, I'm in the wrong job"
Me too!
"So what would have been a temporary issue becomes a longer term one as you don't go for treatment with your GP."
Of course. Is there any policy anywhere that makes things better, and not worse? Doesn't feel like it.
"...nothing more than the usual anti-gun rhetoric; the demand that we need to make our already strict gun laws even stricter, because if a gun wasn't available this terrible thing would never have occured. As if knives, bathtubs and pillows don't exist."
Exactly. The means isn't the issue, the motive is.
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