GP with 2,500 patients kills himself after being unable to cope with pressures of job

A family GP hanged himself after being unable to cope with his growing workload of patients, an inquest has heard.

Father-of-two Dr Jyotimrmay Datta, 58, crumbled under the pressure of working until midnight some nights - and regularly at weekends - for an astounding 2,500 patients on his own at his practice.

He penned two farewell letters to his wife Anne, who had not suspected anything  was wrong with her husband of 19 years.

He then hanged himself from a bannister at the family home while Anne and their two children slept soundly upstairs.

His horrified wife found his body in the early hours of April 21 this year.

Giving evidence at the inquest in Hull, Anne described how her husband had  hinted that he was finding it impossible to cope with his staggering workload.

Speaking through tears, she said: 'He was under a lot of pressure at work, he  had 2,500 patients to deal with.

'Some nights he didn't come home til gone midnight. He was also working many  weekends. He was bringing his work home with him.' 

Just four days before his death he said to Anne, who also worked at the  surgery: 'I don't know how much longer I can keep doing it.'

On April 20, Anne had slept in their son's room because he had been ill, and  had no idea of her husband's intentions until she went downstairs and found his body the next day.

Distraught Anne called for an ambulance but he was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The inquest also heard that the GP, described as a 'private and proud man',  was under serious financial stress.

The couple had bought a new home and he was finding it difficult to cope with  mortgage payments and private school fees for his kids.

He was also struggling to pay an outstanding tax bill. He had opted to make monthly payments to clear it but found the bill was mounting as he was unable  to meet some of the payments.

Anne said: 'He didn't like being in debt. If he couldn't afford something he  wouldn't have it.

'I offered to help because I had recently come into some  money, but he always handled the finances and said if he needed it he would ask  for it.

'In January 2008 he couldn't pay the whole of his tax payment so did so in  installments. But another was due in July.

'I knew about the financial stress but I didn't know he would take his own  life.'

Dr Datta had run a practice since 1984. He was born in India and came to the  UK in 1976 to study medicine, and met his future wife two years later.

But his career was blighted by personal and professional issues.

In 2002 the medic was found guilty of serious professional misconduct by the  General Medical Council.

At his surgery in Holderness Road, Hull, he 'caused a loss of dignity' to a  female patient when he asked a receptionist to look at her genitals and told another patient that one of her sisters had had an abortion - breaching strict  confidentiality rules.  

The council found he had behaved in an 'insensitive, inappropriate and  improper' manner.

But he was allowed to continue practising with an order to put  clear policies in place regarding patient confidentiality, and have a chaperone  present with all patients.  

He was also cleared of other charges against the first patient relating to an allegation that he had groped and kissed her.

Anne said that he had been 'emotionally affected' by these 'professional  difficulties'.

She added that she had read both of his farewell notes he had left at the  family home.

The exact content of these letters were not revealed at the  inquest.

Recording a verdict of suicide, Coroner Geoffrey Saul said: 'We have heard how  Dr Datta worked very long hours at his general practice with a very heavy  caseload.

'He also didn't like debt but following a house move and found himself in  financial difficulty. The financial problems were weighing heavily on his mind.

'These matters clearly preyed on his mind although not visibly - there was  nothing to cause his wife any concern.' 

No members of the doctor's family, who live in a large detached house in quiet  West Ella, near Hull, would comment after the inquest.  

An anonymous online tribute to him on the website Lasting Tribute reads: 'My  deepest sympathy to Anne and children.

'Dr Datta will be remembered by all our  family who he cared for at some time most of them from birth.

'A very caring and understanding doctor, irreplaceable.'