A LEADING judge from Bolton who led the Harold Shipman inquiry has said “hardly any” of her recommendations were put into place and such killings could happen again.

Shipman, a GP from Hyde, was the UK’s worst serial killer who over a period of 20 or more years was the responsible for the murder of his patients by injecting them with lethal doses of diamorphine.

He was jailed in January, 2000 for 15 murders but it is thought he may have killed around 250.

The inquiry produced six reports on the doctor’s crimes.

Yesterday Dame Janet Smith was the latest guest in the popular “An Evening With” series at the University of Bolton, where high profile guests are interviewed by broadcaster Gordon Burns.

The Shipman Inquiry lasted almost two years, and was an investigation into all deaths certified by Shipman. His youngest victim was 41-years-old and the majority of victims were woman.

Shipman died in January, 2004 in Wakefield Prison, where he was found hanging.

Following his horrific killing spree the Government said they owe an immense “debt of gratitude to Dame Janet Smith and her team”.

Dame Janet, speaking about the recommendations she made, told the audience in Bolton “hardly any” had been implemented.

She said: “One of the recommendations I made was for the reform of death certification. That has not changed at all.

“There has been a pilot scheme, which I understand has worked quite well but that has not been put into effect.

“Cremation certification has been tightened up, not as a result of any changes in the law but because the medical profession recognised that cremation practice had become a rubber stamping exercise.

“Whether that will last I don’t know because the law remains exactly the same.”

She said one of the reasons her recommendations had not come into force was because there was a general perception that Shipman was a “one off” and it was unnecessary to make changes to systems.

Dame Janet said she did not agree the systems were working well. She said she sought to demonstrate there were good reasons for improving the systems apart from “catching a rogue doctor”.

She said that the then Home Secretary David Blunkett had undertaken to react to Dame Janet’s findings but then lost his job.

Dame Janet said: “The only real progress was with coroners’ services and there has been a Coroner’s Act and has made some changes.

“There is training for coroners.”

“I do feel that the coronial service had made progress.”

Gordon Burns said that because her recommendations had not been not put in place it could allow this sort of situation to happen again. Dame Janet agreed that “it could”.

Dame Janet added: “Doctors do regard themselves as being each other’s keeper in a supportive way.

She added: “I was warned that most inquiry reports finish up on the top shelf gathering dust.

“But I think Shipman has been useful because it has led to a change in culture particular in the medical profession.”