Now name the gynaecologist who ‘harmed 272 patients’

As NHS keeps his identity secret, victims’ lawyers say:

A TOP NHS hospital trust is embroiled in a secrecy row after it refused to name a surgeon under investigation over his treatment of almost 300 women.

The obstetrics and gynaecology consultant is understood to have carried out operations such as hysterectomies and ovary removals.

But former colleagues raised concerns about his practices in late 2018 after the doctor left his post.

An initial review found eight incidents where ‘unnecessary harm’ was caused.

An inquiry was launched by the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust in April this year and 193 former patients were initially contacted. A further 79 have since been written to.

It means the number of women potentially caused ‘ unnecessary harm’ has increased to 272.

Lawyers acting for some of the women fear many more patients may have been mistreated but have no idea of the ongoing investigation because of health chiefs’ refusal to divulge the doctor’s name.

Karen Reynolds, from the law firm Freeths, said: ‘I am sorry to hear of the large number of women contacted as part of this investigation. But I am concerned there may well be other women who have not been contacted by the trust who also may have been affected.

‘We have been instructed by a number of women affected and are beginning to see an emerging pattern of the care provided by Earlier this consultant.’ this year, Helen Barry, a clinical negligence lawyer at Slater and Gordon who is representing one of the affected women, said her client had been left ‘in agony’ and with dangerous complications after being operated on by the consultant.

‘She felt something had gone seriously wrong and now these fears seem to be confirmed,’ Miss Barry said.

She added the number of women contacted by the inquiry raised ‘serious concerns’ about ‘the level of supervision and oversight at this trust’.

It is understood the consultant worked at the Royal Derby Hospital between 2015 and 2018. It is not known if he found another post, resigned or was sacked. The trust has apologised to the women for the care they received.

Repeated attempts through Freedom of Information requests to force the trust to name the consultant have been rejected due to ‘employee confidentiality’.

Hospital bosses say they will not confirm the doctor’s identity publicly during the investigation.

In May, the trust said the review had been delayed due to the pandemic. Its report is now expected to be published later this year. But the trust has admitted it will not know the total number of patients potentially affected until a further external review, overseen by NHS England, is complete.

The trust – ranked 10th best in England two years ago for undertaking clinical research – said: ‘The latest 79 women included are part of a review of intermediate care, such as a diagnostic test, that took place between April 2017 and June 2018.

‘Although there are no current concerns about the care these women received, the trust and NHS England have expanded the review to ascertain whether women who required intermediate care need to be included.’