A senior Bradford doctor told today how another Harold Shipman could be prevented - and revealed how his own grandfather is believed to have died at the hands of the former GP.

Dr Antony Shenton, a consultant at Bradford Royal Infirmary, told an independent inquiry into the doctor convicted of killing 15 of his own patients, that the situation could never have happened in a hospital as doctors and staff are closely monitored.

Dr Shenton, pictured, told how his grandfather, Joseph Bardsley, is also believed to have died at the hands of the former Hyde GP.

Accident and emergency consultant Dr Shenton believes GPs should be employed by health authorities or Primary Care Trusts, rather than work as independent practitioners, to make sure they are monitored.

He also suggested abolishing single GP practices and making sure all sudden deaths are referred to the Coroner so that any patterns are picked up.

Police have also investigated allegations that he may have murdered many more patients while he was a GP in Hyde and Todmorden.

Now an independent inquiry is considering the full extent of his activities and will eventually make recommendations on what steps should be taken to protect patients in the future. Dr Shenton appeared before the inquiry to tell how his 83-year-old grandfather was visited by Dr Shipman at his home in Hyde shortly before being discovered dead on Sunday, April 15, 1984. The cause of death was given as old age by Dr Shipman.

In a witness statement Dr Shenton told how it was only after watching a Panorama programme on Shipman that he noticed striking similarities between the victims' deaths and that of his grandfather.

"At the time of my grandfather's death the family thought that he had had a good innings and it appeared that he had died peacefully," said Dr Shenton. "There did not appear to be anything suspicious. I had not realised that old age was inserted as the cause of death. In my practice area I would never put old age as a cause of death.

"If I had known at the time that Dr Shipman had recorded the cause of death as old age I may have contacted him direct to discuss it with him, as it would have aroused my suspicions."