A DOCTOR cared so much for his patients he took his own life when he feared he had let down an elderly woman in his care.
Mark Gradwell, 46, died from multiple injuries after being hit by a train yards from his home in Poynton, Cheshire.
The community of Poynton, where the family GP lived for 17 years, sent more than 200 letters of condolence, in which they stressed how he had done "everything" for them.
The father of two, who worked at the Priorslegh Medical Centre, was investigated by the Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust after an accusation against him. The complaint was not upheld.
Cover
A Warrington inquest heard the complaint was made when he was working 12-hour days due to inadequate cover at the practice.
He had arranged for an elderly woman patient to be admitted into a nursing home instead of hospital because he couldn't find anything "acutely wrong" with her.
His wife Kathryn, 45, a nurse, said: "He visited the lady a few days later and sent her to hospital where she got better initially but died a few weeks later.
éHe felt he had done the best he could.é
Train tracks
The investigation did not uphold the complaint, but the popular doctor did not feel his name had been cleared and feared his family would be dragged through a public inquiry. One evening in May this year, Dr Gradwell left the family home in Lostock Hall Road and made his way to nearby train tracks.
He left a note addressed to his family, which was discovered a week after his death.
In it Dr Gradwell said he had failed in his duty to his patient and therefore failed his family and didnét want to put them through an inquiry.
Colleague Dr Sylvia Glass said in a statement that he felt the complaint was a personal attack and prescribed himself anti-depressants for full-blown clinical depression.
Deputy coroner Dr Janet Napier, recorded a verdict that Dr Gradwell took his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.
'Wonderful man'
Speaking at the family home, Mrs Gradwell said: éWe are all still totally devastated by the loss. It is the loss of Mark was an absolutely wonderful man.é
A spokesman for Priorslegh Medical Centre said: éWe are a close-knit, supportive practice and Mark was a valued partner and friend.
éHe was a true professional and a Fellow of the Royal College of GPs. Mark was well respected by patients and colleagues alike. He is sorely missed.é
DID you know Dr Gradwell? Pay your tributes here.
Showing comments 1 to 21 and replies | View All
terry, Tyldesley (14/09/2006 at 09:29)
oldham lass, oldham (14/09/2006 at 09:58)
Ace Riley, manchester (14/09/2006 at 10:16)
Gary, Salford (14/09/2006 at 11:52)
Anne, Manchester (14/09/2006 at 13:10)
metrolink employee, queens road (14/09/2006 at 18:56)
rev'd dr e campbell, gtr manchester (14/09/2006 at 20:05)
ex mancunian, sydney (14/09/2006 at 23:26)
This poor, dedicated, caring, overworked, depessed Dr Gradwell deserves much better comments than these two insensitive readers have expressed.
As for the unfortunate train driver, he will get over it & I speak as one who has driven a main line train.
My sympathy lies with this good doctor & those loved ones he left behind.
1-DOCTOR, UK (15/09/2006 at 02:02)
Is this a new story for the media? If it bleeds it leads? After recent years of vilification of doctors by the mass media and the ever-growing burden of expectation thrown upon doctors by successive governments, how many more deaths of our colleagues will it take for someone to care for the caring profession?
Our esteemed colleague may he rest in peace Dr Mark Gradwell was let down by a McCarthyism system of name, shame and blame first with questions later, he knew what would happen in a possible public/gmc inquiry.
He did the best he could under difficult circumstances, but did that matter, at the end of the day it did not.
The new complaints culture imported from the good old USA is breeding a fanatical blame someone, blame anyone culture egged on by their expensive liars.
With the burden of inadequate cover. the new contract and the mountain of paperwork doctors many doctors are working working 12-hour days.
The GP will often deal with undifferentiated medical problems and may not find anything "acutely wrong" and maybe put off by the cross examination of the arrogant wet behind the ears newly qualified junior doctors questioning the reason for admission of the patient by the overworked GP[I hope you are listening]
Dr Gradwell you did not fail but the system failed you. a savage unforgiving system that needs constantly to point the finger of blame.
The annual suicide rates in male and female doctors is 19.2 and 18.8 per 100,000 respectively
http://www.psychiatry.ox.ac.uk/csr/resdoctors.html
Prevention of suicide in doctors requires a range of strategies, including improved management of psychiatric disorder, measures to reduce occupational stress and restriction of access to means of suicide when doctors are depressed.
But does anyone care about doctors? Not least the newspapers fighting circulation battles.
This is a sad story. Our thoughts are with your grieving wife and family.
Dr Gradwell may you RIP
Dr Tim, Australia (15/09/2006 at 05:18)
Sad that people cannot understand that his suicide was the result of desperation - not a cowards way out - but the result of depressiona nd mental impairment caused by illness. Clearly the previous posters have little grasp of mental illness. 1 in 4 will suffer at some stage in their life...,
Sarah, Devon (15/09/2006 at 06:11)
terry, Tyldesley (15/09/2006 at 12:07)
PW, Manchester (15/09/2006 at 13:21)
Dr Mark Baker, Northumberland (15/09/2006 at 14:03)
I feel so sorry for his wife and family, and I cetainly feel sorry for the poor driver too. Nothing any of us say will make matters any better.
Anne: did you not read the Coroner's comments? Suicide while the balance of his mins was disturbed? Suicide is not a coward's way out, but is the action of a severely depressed person who cannot think rationally.
gertie, stockport (15/09/2006 at 16:56)
A GP, Derbyshire (15/09/2006 at 18:32)
julie, North Wales (15/09/2006 at 22:49)
anon, poynton (15/09/2006 at 23:32)
Wm. Mangino, M.D., Philadelphia, Pa., USA (16/09/2006 at 15:41)
I personally feel and share in the pain caused by the loss of this exemplary physician.
His family will be in my prayers.
"So it is that they brought warmth and cheer into the sickroom-and often-though not so often as they wished-brought healing."
God Bless Them, William Mangino, M.D.
anon, Poynton (19/10/2006 at 09:49)
anonymous, Hr. Poynton (15/01/2007 at 23:07)
The second case is three police officers who were suspended while an enquiry into the allegations made about them were investigated. These three police officers have spent three years at home, on full pay, with their names in tact and character umblemished.
Is this what we call one law for one and another law for the many. As a rate payer of Macclesfield I feel the time has come for these men to be exposed. They have been found guilty, unlike Dr Gradwell who was exposed, tried and found to be innocent.
True justice? No