Support group for Neary victims overwhelmed by calls

THE support group for victims of Michael Neary has been overwhelmed with calls after the broadcast of the first part of a dramatisation of the scandal created by his work.

Patient Focus, which has campaigned on behalf of more than 130 women whose wombs were removed unnecessarily by the disgraced obstetrician, was swamped with calls from people directly and indirectly affected by his actions and the cover-up that surrounded it.

Despite being consulted about the Whistleblower programme and its members receiving an advance showing last week, co-ordinator Sheila O’Connor said they had not been able to lay on extra services.

“RTÉ offered to set up an emergency phone line and pay for it but there are only four of us so we had to say no. You can’t bring just anybody in to take calls on something like this. So since our lines opened this morning, it’s been non-stop. We’ve had an awful lot of inquiries. We’re very, very busy.”

Patient Focus welcomed the programme for exposing the full horror of what happened during Dr Neary’s tenure at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda over 25 years.

A statutory inquiry reported in 2006 that he had needlessly carried out hysterectomies on women during or shortly after childbirth. He falsely claimed they had developed complications and that his intervention was essential to save their lives.

He carried out 20 times more such surgeries than the rate in other hospitals, yet doctors who reviewed his work supported him and he was only stopped when a British midwife who came to work there raised her concerns.

Some of the women were as young as 19, most had hoped for more children and all developed premature menopause.

The Lourdes Hospital Redress Board was set up last year to compensate the victims with an estimated €40 million expected to be paid out if the awards, ranging from €60,000 to €380,000, were accepted.

The board refused to disclose yesterday how much had been paid out or how many awards had been rejected in favour of High Court actions.

A report will be presented to Health Minister Mary Harney “shortly”.

Ms O’Connor said the campaign is continuing for 35 women excluded from the scheme because they were over 40 when Neary removed their wombs. “We have one woman who was three days over 40, another a month over, another three months over and they are not being compensated. We can not in any way write the last chapter in this dreadful, sad saga until those women are included.”

A spokesman said Ms Harney had discussed the request with Patient Focus, the State Claims Agency and the inquiry’s chair, Judge Maureen Harding Clark. “The issue remains under consideration.”

Files on Neary were sent to the DPP following complaints by former patients but he has never been charged with any offence.