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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: GP 'Bought Cannabis for Cancer Patient' Will Batchelor PA News Monday 02 Feb 2004 A GP admitted buying cannabis from one of his patients to help a woman with terminal cancer but denied serious professional misconduct, a General Medical Council tribunal heard today. Dr David Thornton, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, was a junior partner at a surgery in nearby Bolsover, when he began treating a 56-year-old woman suffering lymphoma, a GMC professional conduct committee was told. The woman, identified only as Patient A, had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy in hospital but asked to go home when told she had no chance of beating the disease, Dafydd Enoch, for the GMC, told the Manchester hearing. When she began suffering pain that did not respond to drugs, Dr Thornton contacted one of his other patients - a known drug user - and bought cannabis from him. He then gave the drug to the cancer victim via her sister. He supplied the drug twice in December 2001 and January 2002. The woman died in January 2002 following an alleged large injection of diamorphine from Dr Thornton. The doctor, who qualified in 1987, admitted the cannabis allegation but denied giving Patient A a large or excessive dose of diamorphine. Derbyshire Constabulary found out about Dr Thornton's treatment and interviewed him in November 2002. He admitted buying cannabis from his drug-using patient, identified as Patient B, but insisted it was for personal use. He was given a formal police caution. Following the police caution, Dr Thornton contacted his bosses at North-Eastern Derbyshire Primary Care Trust. In a meeting with its Director of Operations, William Jones, he admitted supplying Patient A with cannabis bought from Patient B. Mr Jones told the tribunal: 'Dr Thornton explained that he had been caring for Patient A and that the patient had lymphoma, and that pain management had been a problem. 'He explained that the patient and her family had requested that she didn't want to get involved with specialised and secondary care and that Dr Thornton had suggested to the patient and the family that using cannabis might be helpful in trying to alleviate the symptoms. 'He said that he had contacted Patient B, who he explained was a patient of his and he was known to Dr Thornton as a drug user, and that he had, on two occasions, arranged for some cannabis to be made available to be passed on to Patient A. 'He did make comments about the fact that this was the only occasion he had done anything like this. He was terribly remorseful. 'He was very agitated and concerned and on several occasions he said to me it was a very bad call and he obviously realised he had made a very significant error. Mr Jones, who described Dr Thornton as 'extremely committed' to the care of his patients, said the GP also confessed to having used cannabis himself to help him get over the trauma of his brother-in-law's suicide. Mr Jones said that Dr Thornton also mentioned giving Patient A 500mg of diamorphine on the day of her death, in two intravenous doses. Dr Thornton is accused of serious professional misconduct but denies the charge.
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