DISGRACED former York psychiatrist William Kerr has died - just weeks after his wife Beryl Bromham passed away.

Their deaths come just over five years after Kerr was found by a jury at a finding of fact hearing to have indecently assaulted a former patient.

The Government is set to announce far-reaching health service reforms this summer, following a major inquiry into how the NHS handled complaints in the 1970s and 80s about Kerr and another former psychiatrist, Michael Haslam.

The 955-page inquiry report said last summer that at least 67 former patients had now made allegations of "sexualised behaviour" by Kerr.

It said that, time and again, complaints about him and Haslam had fallen on deaf ears, and it made more than 70 recommendations to the Government to prevent the abuse of vulnerable patients in future.

Kerr, 80, of Easingwold, whose wife was also a psychiatrist, had been ill for many years.

News of his death met with a mixed reaction today from former patients, friends and an MP.

Kathy Haq, who acts as spokeswoman for a number of ex-patients, said some would like to "dance on his grave", and said those who believed in an afterlife might now believe there would finally be justice. "He goes to his grave knowing the truth - as we have always known," she added.

Another former patient, Pat Harrison, said: "His epitaph could be: 'Under this sod lies another one'."

But a neighbour, who claimed to be a friend of 40 years, claimed that criticising a man who had just died was "obscene", and insisted both Kerr and his wife - also a retired psychiatrist - had been "very caring," and had helped many patients during their lives. He also spoke of the stress that Dr Bromham had been placed under during recent years.

Michael Haslam, who served a jail term for indecently assaulting three former patients but is still hoping to lodge a fresh appeal against his conviction, said: "I would say he helped many patients. A lot of people wrote to say that if it had not been for him, they would not be here today."

Phil Willis, the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP who has campaigned at length on behalf of former patients, said: "Obviously, the death of William Kerr brings to an end one of the most unhappy periods for psychiatry in the North Yorkshire area.

"Whilst I don't want to comment on his passing, I do want to say that I hope the women who suffered at his hands can now get on with their lives."

Kerr's family declined to comment.

Revolutionary changes beckon

Mike Laycock examines the William Kerr saga and explains how it could lead to changes in the National Health Service.

WHEN police began investigating historic abuse allegations against William Kerr in the 1990s, they had no idea of the can of worms they were opening.

Over the following years, their inquiries were to lead a lengthy legal saga, involving umpteen appearances at a magistrates court, a crown court case to decide Kerr was unfit to plead, and then a finding of fact at Leeds Crown Court to determine whether he carried out four rapes and 15 indecent assaults on former patients.

In December 2000, he was acquitted of two rapes and four indecent assaults, while the jury was unable to reach a verdict on another 12 allegations, and these were left on the file. However, crucially, it found Kerr had carried out one indecent assault on a Ripon woman.

Kerr did not have a criminal conviction and did not serve any punishment, but did go on the sex offenders' register for five years.

The following year, the then Health Secretary Alan Milburn ordered an official inquiry into how the NHS handled complaints against both Kerr and another former York psychiatrist, Michael Haslam.

The inquiry was delayed after Haslam was subsequently arrested and later tried and convicted of four indecent assaults and one rape (the rape conviction was later quashed by the Court of Appeal but the other convictions were upheld).

The inquiry took evidence in 2004 at a series of hearings held behind closed doors at York's Hilton Hotel, and a 955-page report was then published last July.

It was a damning document, stating that time and again, complaints against the consultants had fallen on deaf ears.

It also spoke of "management's failure, failed communication, poor record keeping, and a culture where the consultants were all-powerful", and revealed that Kerr had been taken on in York in 1965, even though an allegation of inappropriate sexual conduct had been made the previous year.

It said the present system was much improved, but substantial risks remained that complaints raised by patients would neither be heard nor appropriately addressed.

It made more than 70 recommendations to the Government including:

New guidance to reduce likelihood of "sexualised behaviour" by staff

New guidance for managers in handling sex complaints

Clarification for staff about when they are obliged to inform management of suspicions of abuse

No new unorthodox treatments to be given without approval of healthcare team

The Government is expected to respond in the summer to the report.

Updated: 10:16 Thursday, March 30, 2006