THE VICTIMS of disgraced surgeon Richard Neale have called on the hospital which employed him to compensate his former patients.

Neale, 52, from Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, was struck off the medical register on Tuesday for serious professional misconduct, after 34 out of 35 allegations against him were found proven.

Many of the women whose operations he botched were his patients during the ten years he spent working at The Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, between 1985 and 1995.

So far, 60 women have complained officially to the hospital about Neale, but more women are coming forward every day.

Most of the women who gave evidence to the General Medical Council (GMC) hearing had been treated at the Friarage.

Now the campaign group which speaks for the victims is calling for the women to be given payments to compensate them for their suffering.

They are angry that the hospital continued to back Neale after discovering he had been struck off following the death of a patient in Canada.

Group spokesman Graham Maloney, from Yarm, said: "The Friarage should give some sort of gratuity to the women to show that they were responsible for this man and they didn't act until it was too late."

The group has also renewed its call for a public inquiry into the Neale scandal, after the reported comments of General Medical Council president Sir Donald Irvine.

Sir Donald said: "It is difficult to understand why local action on his poor practice was not taken much earlier."

Mr Maloney said he would be pressing Health Secretary Alan Milburn and Leader of the Opposition William Hague for action over the affair.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We don't think that a public inquiry is needed, because the NHS now is very different in terms of having a proper system of protecting patients."

Mr Hague has said he is seeking the views of his constituents before making further representations to the Government.

Tony Bruce, chief executive of the Friarage Hospital, said: "Everyone at the trust wishes to express their sincere sympathy with patients who have suffered."

The trust maintains that its decision to retain Neale's services in 1994 was partly based on widespread support for the surgeon from doctors and patients.

Neale said he apologises "unreservedly" to his patients involved in the GMC hearing, but defends his record as a surgeon.

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