A Scottish GP in favour of assisted suicide told patients he belonged to the Euthanasia Society as a way of opening discussion on the topic, a hearing was told yesterday.

When interviewed by police, Dr Iain Kerr, who practises in Clarkston, Glasgow, admitted he had mentioned being a member of the society - even though he did not belong "because it gives patients the choice of discussing end-of-life matters".

The Herald revealed on Monday the 61-year-old GP is accused by the General Medical Council of supplying an elderly patient with sleeping tablets so she could take her own life. She later killed herself with other drugs.

He is also accused of inappropriate conduct after prescribing the same sleeping pills, which guidance says should only be used to treat "severe and intractable insomnia", to five other patients.

Dr Kerr was initially interviewed by police after his views on assisted suicide and his prescription of the drug sodium amytal to the pensioner emerged during his annual appraisal.

Excerpts of the police interview, which took place in 2005, were read out by GMC counsel Suzanne Goddard, QC, during the hearing in Manchester.

Dr Kerr told police: "If people expressed anxiety about how the end would be, I would tell them I was a member of the Euthanasia Society, or had been, and leave it at that and if they decided that's good news, fine, and if they ignored it I would say that's fine as well."

The female pensioner, referred to by the GMC as Patient A, was experiencing "quite a lot of pain" when she asked for tablets to end her life, Dr Kerr told the police.

Dr Kerr explained to the officer: "She said, will you give me something that I can take if things get too bad', and I said yes."

However, the GP said he had never administered an injection to help someone die.

Strathclyde Police found there was "insufficient evidence" and no further action was taken against Dr Kerr.

An internal investigation by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board, which involved Dr Harry Burns - now Scotland's chief medical officer - was also undertaken early in 2005. This also decided to take no further action.

However, the health board began to examine Dr Kerr's practices again when psychiatrist Dr Alexander Cooper alerted them to a letter he had received from the GP later the same year.

This note, referring Patient A to Dr Cooper, stated: "Some years ago she discussed suicide with me and I've been in the habit of supplying her with barbiturate tablets which would assist her in her endeavour.

"However, I was interviewed by police and I told her and she disposed of them because she didn't want me to get in any trouble."

Dr Cooper, who works at The Priory Hospital, Glasgow, told the GMC yesterday: "I was quite surprised at the content because it appeared to me to be an open admission of involvement in assisted suicide."

Patient A died after taking a drugs overdose, including the sedative temazepam, on December 12, 2005.

She had survived a suicide attempt with the same drug less than two weeks earlier.

The GMC say Dr Kerr had prescribed more temazepam to Patient A two days after this failed bid to take her life.

The hearing continues.