This report was commissioned by Sir Liam in response to public concerns raised by the 15 confirmed murders committed by Dr Harold Shipman while working as a general practitioner. It audited Shipman's clinical practice, including death certificates, patient records and cremation forms, to investigate patterns of death and the prescription of restricted drugs among his patients. Its findings strongly suggested that Shipman was responsible for many more deaths than those he was convicted of (between 200 and 300), confirming that his behaviour had remained undetected for many years.