Further consideration of the scope of the duty of care in respect of psychiatric injury

A very troubling and tragic case has recently been reported concerning a claim by the wife and family of a consultant anaesthetist who took his own life shortly after being informed of an investigation into his fitness to practise by the GMC. The claim was struck out on a preliminary issue when the court concluded, after analysing the legal principles concerning the scope of the duty of care in negligence, that there was no legal basis for the claim against the GMC.