Coroner describes popular Rubery GP as remarkable

Buy photos » Dr David Weddell. s

THE WIFE of a popular doctor, who died after taking an overdose, told an inquest that he loved his work and being there for his patients.

Jane Weddell spoke at the hearing into the death of popular GP Dr David John Weddell, who lived in Sandhills Lane, Barnt Green, and had a practice in Rubery.

Dr Weddell was found at the Hilton Hotel in Bromsgrove on February 18 this year after taking a mixture of morphine and amitriptyline.

The inquest heard how, leading up to his death, Dr Weddell was overworked.

His wife said he sometimes worked seven-days-a-week and had not had a full break for 21 years.

Suicide notes had been found on Dr Weddell's computer in November. His wife asked him about them, but, he told her, although he had felt low, he had no intention of taking his own life.

Dr Weddell went to see a doctor after having panic attacks, which he felt was affecting his judgement at work. He told his wife he felt he had had a nervous breakdown and a doctor, who he went to see, prescribed him anti-depressants.

He had decided to finish in March this year, but was off sick from December.

Mrs Weddell said: "He loved his work, it was his life.

"The impact of not being able to do medicine anymore was a big thing.

"He felt immensely guilty that he was letting patients down.

"The guilt really affected him, as well as everything else."

Dr Weddell, who was 58, was found on February 18 in the ground-floor room at the Hilton which, a statement said, was warm with the curtains closed.

Notes, which had been left by Dr Weddell for friends, family and paramedics, were taken into evidence by Worcestershire Coroner Marguerite Elcock.

She said: "I did not know him personally, but I hear he was a remarkable doctor with an excellent reputation."

And she returned the verdict that he killed himself.

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