GMC is given time to respond to allegations it failed doctor who stole fentanyl

An inquest into the death of a junior doctor who died after injecting himself with the opioid fentanyl has been adjourned so that the General Medical Council can obtain legal representation to respond to allegations made against it.

Julien Warshafsky, 31, was found dead by his wife at his flat in Woking, Surrey, while he was on sick leave in June 2016.

Warshafsky, a trainee anaesthetist at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, had been stealing fentanyl left over after operations to treat himself for depression. He had also illegally looked up the medical records of celebrities.

He had reported himself to the GMC after being caught by colleagues. But evidence about the regulator’s response to the notification led the Surrey assistant …