Michael Neary (surgeon) - The Aftermath

The Aftermath

Michael Neary's actions caused national outrage, shock and even horror. The idea that a well-known and liked (as he was at the time) consultant obstetrician could needlessly remove women's wombs, and get away with it for so long, was shocking in itself, but the delay in discovery and investigation, and numerous other incidents that emerged following the publication of the Lourdes Inquiry, created a media storm and resulted in pages of coverage in newspapers. The women harmed by Dr. Neary came forward and spoke of their distress and how they still wonder why he did it. Represented by the group Patient Focus, they may receive compensation from the State for what happened to them, a matter that is being discussed in the Department of Health. Although much of what is in the Lourdes Inquiry report was already known, the Inquiry brought it to a much wider audience. As a result of the outcry following the publication of the report, the Medical Council pressed to introduce new legislation that would allow them more power to find and stop any doctor who is performing poorly. They also introduced stricter Competence Assurance rules for doctors. The biggest thing to come out of the inquiry, however, was the complaints made against three well respected Dublin obstetricians who in 1998 wrote two reports appearing to clear Dr. Neary of any wrongdoing and defending his treatment of nine women whose wombs he removed.

On Sunday, 31 August 2008, RTÉ 1 aired part one of the two part series Whistleblower based on real events, it outlined one Midwife's concerns with Dr. Neary's practices and ultimately blowing the whistle on his unnecessary hysterectomy procedures.