Table.

Doctors accused of manslaughter after deaths due to errors in drug treatment or anaesthesia, United Kingdom 1970-99

Case no	Doctor's origin	Doctor's age and sex*	Position	Patient's age and sex	Where death occurred	Agent	Nature of problem†	Outcome of case	Year
1	South Asian	M	Locum anaesthetist	9 M	Hospital	Anaesthesia	Mistake: nasotracheal tube passed orally	Convicted	1974
2	South Asian	28 F	Junior doctor	4 M	Hospital	Methotrexate	Slip: drug given intracerebrally in intravenous dose	Acquitted	1978
3	European	36 M	Private general practitioner	42 M	Surgery	Methohexitone	Unclear, possible slip: methohexitone given for diazepam	Acquitted	1981
4	South Asian	37	Locum junior anaesthetist	33 M	Intensive care unit	Dopamine, verapamil, and β blocker	Mistakes: failure to regulate dosage and lack of knowledge of drug interaction	Abandoned before trial	1986
5	African	49 M	Locum junior anaesthetist	33 M	Operating theatre	Lack of oxygen	Mistakes: failure to recognise clinical signs; mistake in interpreting alarm	Convicted	1990
6	European	68 M	Locum anaesthetist	55 F	Operating theatre	Excessive oxygen	Probable slip: tube connected to wrong oxygen supply	Convicted	1990
7	South Asian	54 M	Police surgeon	23 M	Police custody	Opiates and sedatives	Mistakes: lack of accurate drug history and failure of communication between doctors	Both convicted, one pardoned on appeal	1992
	South Asian	54 M	Police surgeon
8	European	25 M	Junior doctor	16 M	Hospital	Vincristine	Slip: vincristine for intravenous use given intrathecally	Both convicted, both pardoned on appeal	1991
	European	27 M	Junior doctor
9	European	F	Consultant	1 F	Paediatrics department	Insulin/glucose	Mistake: overzealous correction of hypoglycaemia	Trial abandoned at committal	1994
	South African (white)	M	Locum junior doctor
10	South Asian	59 M	General practitioner	9 M	Surgery	Opiate	Possible slip: confusing diamorphine and dihydrocodeine	Pleaded guilty	1994
11	South Asian	39 M	General practitioner	30 F	Home	β blocker	Mistake: prescribing without adequate knowledge of patient	Acquitted (convicted of another offence)	1994
12	South East Asian	25 F	Junior doctor	36 M	Hospital	Penicillin	Slip: confusing intracerebral and intravenous lines	Acquitted	1995
13	South Asian	55 M	General practitioner	41 F	Home	Opiate	Slip: given diamorphine in a dosage appropriate to pethidine	Convicted	1998
14	South Asian	70 M	Police surgeon	22 M	Custody	Opiate	Unknown: dosage error	Too ill to stand trial	1999
15	South Asian	65 M	Anaesthetist	14 M	Dentist's surgery	Nitrous oxide	Mistakes: failure to check equipment and failure to obtain relevant medical history	Convicted	1999
16	South East Asian	34 M	Junior doctor	12 M	Pediatrics department	Vincristine	Series of errors leading to a slip: vincristine for intravenous use given intrathecally	No evidence offered	1999
	European	34 M	Junior doctor
17	European	46 F	General practitioner	77 M	Nursing home	Opiate	Slip by nurse: correct (large) dose of morphine given to wrong patient plus other errors	Judge ordered acquittal	1999

^*Where stated. ^†Classified as mistakes (errors in planning an action) and slips (errors in its execution).