In today’s show we revisit the time in 1999 when a Northumberland doctor casually admitted to killing 300 people in a local TV interview.
I’m genuinely surprised you don’t remember.
Doctor David Moor was a much loved GP who would often appear in the regional media as a local medical expert. But one such appearance would lead to him facing a murder charge for helping an apparently terminally ill patient to die. But was Britain’s approach to end-of-life care what was really on trial? And if this was murder, does that mean the Queen’s Granddad got murdered too?
40 years earlier another doctor – John Bodkin Adams – had found himself in a similar position. Was Adams a pioneering doctor who changed the face of palliative care? Or was he lethally useless and more of a danger to his patients than their medical conditions? Or he was he, in fact, literally Britain’s most prolific serial killer?
Along the way, there’s an establishment cover-up, clandestine sexual relationships, clay pigeon shooting fatalities and a welcome(ish) return of Gareth reading poetry.
We also revisit 1999. Rod Hull dies. Whizzer and Chips is nowhere to be found. Kiwi-flavoured 20/20 is consumed. Everyone talking about epigenomics apparently. Nothing like Prince described it.
Trigger warning: This show discusses issues surrounding end of life care and assisted suicide throughout.
You can reach us on email everyonediesinsunderland@gmail.com, on Twitter at @everyonediespod, on Facebook and Instagram.
Our theme music is usually the song “Steady Away” by Pete Dilley and can be found on his album Half-truths and Hearsay which you can/should buy/stream here:
ttps://petedilley.bandcamp.com/album/half-truths-and-hearsay
But for a third show in a row it isn’t. Pete’s getting married though. Congratulations Pete!