A SERIOUSLY ill man with a history of suicide attempts overdosed after being given a month's supply of drugs from a doctor - who thought he was attention-seeking.

Unemployed chef Christian Duncan, 30, died after taking a large quantity of drugs prescribed to him by the doctor who admitted never having seen his medical notes.

Mr Duncan's family has now lodged a former complaint with Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust about the treatment he received.

Mr Duncan, who had been staying in Homemead, Gravesend, for seven weeks, came from Manchester.

During the seven weeks he twice visited Dr Dermot O'Connor at the Old Road West Surgery in Gravesend. On both occasions he received prescriptions for four weeks worth of his medication - amounting to hundreds of pills.

At Mr Duncan's inquest, Dr O'Connor defended the prescription. He said: When he presented to me he was not overtly depressed. There was no indication to me that he was going to take a serious overdose. On the morning I saw him he was heading more towards mania."

He also claimed Mr Duncan's behaviour was consistent with attention seeking associated with some forms of mental health.

Dr O'Connor said he had no notes for Mr Duncan and only had evidence of his history from his friend, Tony Young, who accompanied him for the appointment.

Mr Young, 65, who Mr Duncan had been staying with during his time in Gravesend said after the inquest that Christian's notes had never been forwarded to Gravesham.

During his time in the area Mr Duncan had also had two assessments with Gravesend Mental Health Team and had visited A & E at Darrent Valley Hospital.

But despite proclamations that he wanted to die and deep wounds on his arms from cutting himself he was always treated as an outpatient.

At the inquest, coroner Roger Hatch said: "It was clearly Christian's intention to take his own life. However, one does question the sense of giving him a months supply of drugs."

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