The family of doctor who took his own life while under investigation loses case against the GMC

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By Daniel Pye

A legal claim against the General Medical Council regarding a doctor who took his own life while under investigation has failed at the High Court.

The British Medical Association, which supported the claim, called the judgment “hugely disappointing”.

Former consultant anaesthetist Dr Sridharan Suresh, who worked for at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, died in May 2018. According to the BMA, he took his own life shortly after being notified that the GMC were investigating his professional conduct.

Dr Suresh’s family, who led the claim, believed that the GMC breached its duty of care. The BMA says that the investigation was into allegations of sexual assault of a minor “but the evidence was inconsistent and there were no reasonable prospects of conviction”.

It pointed to the work done by the GMC with Professor Louis Appleby [pdf], which acknowledged that investigations are “a very significant additional stressor” to a doctor in combination with other factors such as employer disciplinary proceedings, mental health issues, financial pressures, relationship breakdowns and criminal proceedings.