Women who had wombs removed unnecessarily to share €30m

THE 129 women who had their wombs unnecessarily removed by Drogheda gynaecologist Michael Neary are to share €30 million in compensation, it was confirmed last night.

Former patients of the struck-off obstetrician will be awarded compensation depending on factors like their age and whether they had children before the surgery.

Payouts will range from €60,000 to €380,000 as recompense for wrongs like the loss of an ovary, Caesarean hysterectomies and psychological pain.

Judge Maureen Harding Clarke, who completed the Lourdes Hospital Inquiry last February, yesterday met Department of Health officials to discuss the compensation scheme.

Over a 25-year period, 188 women had their wombs removed at Drogheda and 129 such procedures were performed by Dr Neary.

The compensation scheme will be based on a 17-point rating scale, benchmarked on court cases, under a plan devised by the judge.

Women who can produce a medical report showing the surgery was unnecessary are due to be compensated first, as are 42 patients whose medical files are missing.

One case thought to be central to guidelines for the scheme was heard in the High Court in 2003, where €270,000 was awarded in damages to a Co Louth woman, Alison Gough, whose womb Dr Neary removed after she gave birth to her only child in 1992.

Support group Patient Focus said it also wanted a small number of women who underwent a number of other gynaecological procedures to be included in the compensation scheme.

“There’s no money will compensate anybody for what happened at Drogheda and that’s a simple fact we’ve always known,” said Sheila O’Connor from the campaign group.

“But is it an acknowledgment for people. To be honest people will be content with the amount (of compensation).

“But they’ve never looked at it from a point of view of money,” she said.

Up to 150 cases will be included in total in the scheme, including at least 80 which are expected to be withdrawn from the courts.

The Department of Health yesterday insisted the proposals had still to be finalised.

The judge is also looking at how officials can “ensure the maximum amount” in contributions comes from medical insurers for the compensation.

Hearings and applications for compensation are expected to take 12 months and will be heard by the judge.

At the time of her inquiry, the judge said it was “hard to fathom how 130 hysterectomies could have been performed by the medic over 25 years without any questions being asked.”

A number of outstanding issues remain to be decided, including whether another doctor’s cases are to be included in the scheme.