An acclaimed doctor committed suicide after becoming depressed about pressures at work and his deteriorating health, an inquest has heard.Professor Neil Cox, 53, often worked 12 hour days at Cumberland Infirmary, where he was in dispute with NHS bosses over a planned reshuffle of his department.
The eminent dermatologist, who was married with two children, was found dead in his car on a remote country road near Carlisle, Cumbria, last December. He had slashed his wrists.
His wife, Fiona Cox, a veterinary surgeon, told the hearing that her husband, who was unwell because of complications following a kidney transplant five years earlier, was often exhausted when he came home from work.
She said he felt changes to his department would be detrimental to patients and, despite his ill health, was being 'pressured' by managers to take on more responsibilities.
“For some time, Neil had been intending to retire on the grounds of ill health but he wanted to leave the dermatology department in a viable state,'' she said.
“The department had been Neil’s life’s work and was well known nationally and had won awards. He was immensely saddened that the department was to be partially dismantled by the PCT (primary care trust). Some of the care of skin patients was to be delegated to specialist interest GPs.
“He strongly felt this was detrimental to patients. “He had been battling for some time to try to minimise the impact to patient care and to preserve the viability of the department.
“The trust had been pressurising Neil for several weeks before he died to complete a cancer peer review so that the department would be able to treat cancers. “This had involved several weeks of extra work with no extra time allocated to do it. Neil also had to produce proposals to the PCT for dermatology services for Cumbria. “He was totally spent by the time he came home. He would sit exhausted on the sofa with a glass of wine, eat his supper and go to bed at 9.30pm most nights.”
Dr Peter Weaving, Prof Cox's GP, told the inquest that in October last year the doctor was diagnosed with severe depression, caused by his illness and work-related stress.
The family doctor said Prof Cox's transplant was failing and he was suffering multiple complications, including an infection, pain, and extreme chronic tiredness.
Dr Weaving said: “He would need to return to dialysis treatment or have a further transplant.
“Because of his driven and perfectionist nature, he also had a large amount of work related stress. This, on top of his [poor] physical health produced significant depressive symptoms.”
Two weeks before the tragedy, Mrs Cox had offered to have tissue tests to see if she could be a donor but her husband said he preferred to wait to see if one could be found through the national NHS register.
The idea of going through the ordeal of a transplant again was difficult for him, she added.
North Cumbria Coroner David Roberts ruled Prof Cox took his own life after leaving a farewell note to his wife.
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust refused to comment on the findings of the inquest. Following his death, trust chief executive Carole Heatly praised Prof Cox as a "leader and innovator in dermatology services across North Cumbria", and added: "We know how valued he has been by his staff and many patients.''
Last year Prof Cox won the British Association of Dermatologists Wycombe Prize for research performed in a district general hospital for the second time - the only person to have done so.
He also co-published a textbook, Diseases Of The Skin, which was awarded the British Medical Association Dermatology Book of the Year prize in 2006.
In 2008 he was appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Cumbria.
No comments:
Post a Comment