Neary patients tell Harney lazy political response over six years a scandal

WOMEN who had their wombs needlessly removed and had other gynaecological procedures performed on them by disgraced obstetrician Dr Michael Neary, have accused the Government of dragging its heels in ensuring other woman would not suffer as they did.

“Until a redress board is put in place, the real matters of national and legal significance cannot be fully addressed because of pending civil claims,” a campaign group for the women have told Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney.

Patient Focus last night delivered an open letter to the minister pointing out that it was not the lack of sympathy that offended the women, but a lack of action in remedying the obvious accountability and regulation faults in the system in relation to damaged patients.

The group said six years was a very long time to wait patiently and with restraint as to what was said in public, while the obvious was analysed ad nauseam and any real change was put on indefinite hold.

“The lazy political response over the last six years is a scandal in itself. We had hoped it would not continue into your ministry,” the group told Ms Harney.

Patient Focus, which represents 130 former patients of Dr Neary, said 70 women would take their cases to the redress board. Both the doctor and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda have already been successfully sued for damages by 15 women and have received awards of around €100,000 each.

Of particular concern, however, is the fact that in 39 cases, the medical files relating to former patients have gone missing.

Last week, Ms Harney said it would be wrong to act in advance of the State discovering why the high level of caesarean hysterectomies performed by Dr Neary at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital was not discovered until 1998.

The campaign group, however, stressed in their letter that the fact that women were damaged had already been established in the Medical Council. They also believed that the report of the Lourdes Hospital Inquiry would not be on the minister’s desk by the end of next month.

“We know of members of our group who have appointments to attend the inquiry well into February. Indeed, we know from a reliable source that interviewing will continue until the end of February and that it will take two to three months to write the report.

“We ask you, even at this late stage, to provide us with a timetable as to how you see this matter proceeding in relation to bringing proposals to Government for a redress board so that the way can be prepared for real discussion and much needed change,” their letter concluded.