Ex-mayor calls for action over Neale
21/03/2002

A former mayor who wants the authorities to use health and safety legislation against disgraced surgeon Richard Neale has made an appeal to the Crown Prosecution Service.

John Bacon, who was mayor of Northallerton in 1983, has already written to North Yorkshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) calling on them to take action against the gynaecologist, struck off by the General Medical Council in July 2000 after botching operations .

Former patients of Mr Neale were in tears last week when a High Court judge turned down calls for a public inquiry.

Now, Mr Bacon has written to the CPS's head of casework in York pointing out that a precedent was set last year with what was believed to be the first successful prosecution of clinical incompetence using health and safety laws.

He said the conviction of a Lancashire dentist paved the way for more health service prosecutions by the CPS.

Mr Neale was struck off after 34 charges of incompetence were found proven. About 250 women have complained about his work.