City doctor whose surgery caused harm to dozens of women 'worked in a trust that somehow allowed this to continue'

NHS REVIEW INTO EX-OBSTETRICIAN FINDS 'MAJOR HARM CONCERNS' TO 48 PATIENTS

- By EDDIE BISKNELL

A "RISK-TAKING" former Derby doctor who harmed dozens of women by performing unconsented surgeries went virtually unchecked by hospital bosses.

An NHS report into Daniel Hay, aged 60, a former obstetrician and gynaecologist at Royal Derby Hospital from 2005 to 2020, has today been published three years after it was completed.

A criminal investigation into his conduct continues.

The report has found "major" concerns of harm to 48 women and "some" concerns of harm to 68 women, although it has not provided a definition of "concerns of harm".

It also identified potential "issues of care" to 13 women, while two women suffered "severe physical harm" and three women suffered "moderate" physical harm.

A total of 383 of Mr Hay's cases from 2015 to 2018 at Royal Derby Hospital and Ripley Hospital were assessed as part of the review.

It has now been recommended that the investigation is expanded to between 2012 and 2015, focusing on major and intermediate gynaecology surgery cases.

These issues include women having hysterectomies who either did not want them, did not know they were having them or did not know alternative, less-invasive options were available.

This led to women who wanted to start families and who were still able to do so having that opportunity taken away from them unnecessarily and without consent, leading to ongoing mental health issues, which have seen them lose relationships and jobs.

The reviews assessed whether the medical procedures carried out by Mr Hay were carried out properly or directly caused physical harm, despite an apparent frequent lack of informed consent.

It did not assess the impact patients suffered from having procedures they did not want.

It details: "Many patients were often subjected to inadequate or late consent processes.