Police email shows conflict over airing of report on doctor

A review into the work of former Derby doctor Daniel Hay was published this week, but, as EDDIE BISKNELL reports, the decision of the NHS trust to release it seems to be at odds with the view of police investigating Mr Hay

- EDDIE BISKNELL

THE full story about why the reports into former Derby doctor Daniel Hay are now being published is in dispute.

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust published two reviews on Wednesday, October 1, into Mr Hay and its own governance overseeing his practices - three years after they were completed.

The reports highlight years of inadequate practices, including insufficient consent, which led to harm to dozens of women, including unwanted hysterectomies. Hospital officials have said the reports have been withheld for three years in order to avoid prejudicing an ongoing criminal investigation into Mr Hay which launched in September 2022.

They said they made the decision to publish the reports now following agreement with Derbyshire police.

A spokesperson said: “While the criminal investigation remains ongoing the trust has sought further legal advice and, with agreement of Derbyshire Constabulary detectives that the potential for prejudice has reduced, that the report can now be made public”

However, an email from detective Claudia Musson, in charge of the police investigation into Mr Hay - dubbed Operation Landguard - seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, conflicts with that view.

It says: “The publication of the reports has been solely the decision of the trust, after receiving their own legal advice from their legal team. This was after they received repeated requests for the reports to be made public.

“Although we, the police, were consulted about their decision, we did not agree to the publication. Our position is still the same in that we would prefer the reports were not published”