Martin meets Neary patient group over inquiry

The group representing women damaged by the former Drogheda obstetrician Dr Michael Neary met the Minister for Health, Mr Micháel…

The group representing women damaged by the former Drogheda obstetrician Dr Michael Neary met the Minister for Health, Mr Micháel Martin, today.

Patient Focus, which is seeking a statutory public inquiry into the affair, said it would make a statement tomorrow after it had briefed the woman involved.

A spokeswoman for the group told ireland.comthe meeting dealt with the "format and type" of inquiry to be set up. She said the talks were at a early stage and the nature of the inquiry had not been finalised.

She declined to say whether the one-and-half-hour meeting had been productive or not, saying the group would not comment on this ahead of tomorrow's statement.

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Dr Neary was struck off the medical register by the Medical Council in July of this year after he was found guilty of professional misconduct relating to the unnecessary removal of the wombs of 10 of his patients.

Patient Focus are demanding to know how he was allowed continue to remove patients' wombs at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, where he practised from 1974 to 1998.

Minister Martin has promised the women involved a full inquiry into the doctor's activities.

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy is Economics Correspondent of The Irish Times