Dr William Bassett

A doctor said his “heart dropped” the moment he accidentally injected a killer dose of drugs into a patient.

Dr William Bassett, who is based at the rural Brown Clee Medical Practice in Ditton Priors, was alleged to have deliberately injected the 100mg of diamorphine into a lung cancer sufferer in May 2009.

The General Medical Council said he did it so the 65-year-old could die in peace.

But at a hearing in Manchester a medical disciplinary panel has ruled it was a genuine mistake and issued him with a formal warning.

The panel heard how at around 1pm on May 29, Dr Bassett made his fourth visit to the terminally-ill man in 24 hours.

The GMC said the patient was described as “unsettled and frightened” by his illness.

Dr Bassett said there was “a lot of tension in the room” as the family were in tears and three family members were holding the patient down on the bed while he administered the injection.

He told the panel he could not be sure how the mistake occurred but he would never knowingly have approached the patient with 100mg of the drug.

When he realised there was nothing left in the ampoule he said his “heart dropped” and he was “shameful”.

He told the panel he would never seek to bring about someone’s death and that “life is very important and you should not hasten death even by a second”.

The panel concluded there was no evidence to suggest Dr Bassett had behaved in a similar manner previously or since.

Panel chairman, Dr Surendra Kumar, said: “It’s clear that you care for your patients.

“The authors of the testimonials, amongst other things, described you as diligent, hardworking, conscientious and an asset to the medical profession.

“They describe your character, honesty and integrity as being beyond reproach.

“The panel accepts that you have fully appreciated and reflected upon the gravity of your error and that you have shown genuine contrition for this.”

No criminal charges have been brought against Dr Bassett as an inquest is set to take place at a later date.