Coroner warns of easy drug access after vet death

Veterinary surgeons can easily access potentially lethal drugs, the coroner said (stock image)

The death of a "highly regarded" young veterinary surgeon has prompted a coroner to warn about the easy access to dangerous drugs in the profession.

An inquest found John Ellis, 35, took his own life after self-administering a toxic quantity of drugs he told his former employers would be used to euthanise a large dog.

Assistant coroner for Hampshire Simon Burge said there were not "adequate controls" in place to prevent the mis-use of such substances.

He has called on the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to take action.

In a prevention of further deaths report, Mr Burge said Mr Ellis was given the drugs by his former employers "without any checks" and "without scrutiny".

He said: "He was allowed to walk out of the veterinary surgery unaccompanied, with the drug, which he then used to take his own life."

Mr Ellis died after administering the drugs on 6 November 2022.

"Veterinary surgeons, such as the deceased, are able to easily access potentially lethal drugs without any adequate controls being put in place to prevent their mis-use", Mr Burge said.

The coroner said Mr Ellis had been "experiencing difficulties in some of his personal relationships, as well as financial worries, and considerable stress having recently changed jobs".

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said it was "very sorry" to hear about Mr Ellis' death and would be "taking time to consider the coroner’s report and recommendations, and what additional steps we might take".

"As a compassionate regulator, and via our Mind Matters Initiative, we are committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of those in the veterinary team via training and resources, and by funding research in areas including suicide prevention," it said in a statement.

"The Mind Matters Initiative’s research and ethos has fed into many areas of veterinary regulation including our voluntary Practice Standards Scheme and the standards we set for the professions."

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