Victims speak out against Doctor Neary

Two women who had their wombs removed by an obstetrician now struck off the medical register told today of the devastation and shock they felt when they found out what had happened.

In one of the cases the woman claimed the doctor took just two minutes to decide to remove her womb.

They spoke out as health minister Micheál Martin came under increasing pressure to set up a public inquiry.

Dr Michael Neary was taken off the register of medical practitioners yesterday following claims by more than 60 women that he unnecessarily removed their wombs.

The move was directed by the Irish Medical Council after it declared him guilty of professional misconduct in relation to complaints from 10 patients.

One of these women, Noeleen, said: “When I went into hospital I was in good health.

“I had no idea that there was such a thing as a Caesarean hysterectomy and three days after my baby was born I was told my womb was removed.

“I was completely devastated at the time, totally in a state of shock.

“I was one of the first people to have this operation in Drogheda but I had complete trust in them.”

She told RTÉ radio that when she heard a doctor was under investigation in the area she immediately thought “please God, don’t let it be Dr Neary”.

“It was bad enough to have had to go through it, but to tell me now after all these years that it never needed to have happened...” she said.

“I was devastated all over again.”

Noeleen said that at the time of the operation she was told it was necessary because she lost so much blood and was in a unique situation.

“I realised we had been lied to,” she went on.

“We couldn’t all have been these extraordinary cases that nearly bled to death.

“I felt extremely hurt and let down.”

She said she could not understand why nobody did or said anything over so many years.

She added: “My big desire when I was growing up was to get married and have a family, and to have the powers to do that cut off like that is a terrible emotional shock.

“It still upsets me when I think about it.”

Noeleen added her voice to demands for an independent inquiry to establish the truth.

“I think a public inquiry and some answers or something put in place to ensure this won’t happen again will help that,” she said.

Last night, the Medical Council asked Mr Martin to look into what were called “serious issues” about the running of the obstetric unit in Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, where Dr Neary worked for more than 20 years from 1978.

He was suspended from working in medicine for the past four years following the allegations levelled against him.

Another woman, Martina, also spoke today of her ordeal.

She said she gave birth to her second child by Caesarean during the 1990s.

Her baby was born but within two minutes Dr Neary decided she needed a hysterectomy.

“It only took him about two minutes to decide that,” she said.

“Then he proceeded and he did a hysterectomy, and afterwards when I was in the recovery room I was crying my eyes out. I was in pieces.

“I believed every word they told me.

“I believed I had a life-saving operation.

“I believed that I was bleeding out of control. I believed that I had a defect in my womb that they could do nothing about.”

Martina said she was delighted to see something was being done and that what had happened was finally coming out.

“People are believing my side of the story,” she added.

Mr Martin is due to meet representatives of the women involved amid calls for an independent inquiry.

Liz McManus, health spokeswoman for the Labour Party, called on him to meet them quickly and ensure that progress was made during this meeting.

She also called on the government to speed up legislation providing guidelines to medical practitioners.

Ms McManus said: “We need to hear from the minister that he intends to publish the Medical Practitioners Bill and that within it there will be safeguards.

“There will be a requirement of competence assurance, clinical audit, the kind of protection that will protect not just patients but doctors too into the future.”

Ms McManus said women who had suffered a “terrible and lasting injury” needed answers to the questions they had been asking.

The Patient Focus Group, which represents many of the women affected by Dr Neary’s actions, called on the health minister to establish an immediate inquiry.

Spokeswoman Sheila O’Connor said justice had been done, but it was a pity that it had taken so long.

Controversy over Dr Neary first emerged in 1998, when two midwives reported concerns about the high number of hysterectomies he was carrying out at the Drogheda hospital.

Last month, Dr Neary lost an appeal against an Irish High Court award of a €270,000 damages order for negligence against him to Alison Gough, from Ardee, Co Louth.

Ms Gough’s womb was removed by Dr Neary after the birth of her son.

Sixty other cases against Dr Neary are pending.