John Bishop Harman

John Bishop Harman, FRCS, FRCP (10 August 1907 – 13 November 1994) was a British physician, president of the Medical Defence Union and chairman of the British National Formulary. He was also notable as a medical expert witness for the defence in the trial of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams. His daughter, Harriet Harman, is a senior Labour Party politician.

Early life Harman was born at 108 Harley Street, the heart of medical London, and practised and lived there his whole life. His father, Nathaniel Harman, trained as a Baptist minister but having gained a double first at Cambridge instead became an ophthalmic consultant.

Harman retired in 1972 and took on the presidency of the Medical Defence Union. During cross-examination, however, it was established: that Harman had himself only ever worked as a general practitioner for a total of two weeks. He had only ever treated a handful of drug addicts – before the war. He had never seen 'spasms' caused by drug addiction, despite acting them out for the court in detail – he had only ever read about them. And furthermore, despite being a witness for the defence, he claimed he had at no time talked to Adams about his treatment of the patient.

Adams was subsequently successfully prosecuted on 13 lesser charges of prescription fraud, lying on cremation forms, obstructing a police search and failing to keep a dangerous drugs register. He was removed from the Medical Register in 1957 and reinstated in 1961. Home Office pathologist Francis Camps, however, suspected Adams of causing the deaths of 163 patients in total.

Death Harman died from a dissecting aortic aneurysm, while driving his car to St Thomas's in 1994, aged 87.

Family His sister, Elizabeth (wife of Lord Longford), introduced him to a barrister, Anna Spicer. They married in 1946 and had four daughters - Janet, Sarah, Harriet, Virginia - who all became solicitors. Harriet became Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and served in the Cabinet under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.