'Struck-off surgeon should not rejoin medical register'
10/01/2005
By Barry Nelson

THE General Medical Council (GMC) said it would not be in the public interest for disgraced surgeon Richard Neale to be restored to the medical register.

The GMC, which monitors UK doctors, was responding to concerns the former North Yorkshire gynaecologist can apply for reinstatement in July.

Graham Maloney, an advisor to the 300-member victim support group set up by former patients of Neale, said: "The law says that Neale can re-apply this summer.

"We are very concerned that he could be reinstated."

Neale obtained a job as a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, in 1985, despite having been struck off in Canada.

In spite of increasing complaints from female patients, he continued working in the UK until 2000, when he was struck off for botching operations and lying to patients.

Mr Maloney said victims were also frustrated at the lack of action by Health Secretary John Reid four months after the Neale Inquiry made a series of recommendations to ensure more women did not suffer in the future because health officials failed to identify problem doctors.

Last month, the fifth and final report into Harold Shipman said the GMC failed to protect patients.

Dame Janet Smith, the High Court judge in charge of the inquiry, said the GMC had, in the past, failed to protect patients and acted in the interests of doctors during fitness-to-practice hearings.

Mr Maloney said: "It is about time Dr Reid responded to the recommendations.

"We need to know what he is going to do about the GMC."

A GMC spokeswoman said that if Mr Neale made an application, "it is our view that it would not be in the public interest for his name to be restored to the medical register". She added: "We expect that we would instruct our lawyers to tell the panel that his name should not be restored to the register."

A Department for Health spokesman said: "We are looking at all of the Shipman reports and will be responding fully in due course."